Keys to the Kingdom
by MiniJen
Summary: Thirteen Keys, scattered across the worlds. Whoever holds them all is destined to rule the heart of all worlds: Kingdom Hearts. As both light and darkness scour the worlds for these keys, Sora finds himself caught between standing alongside his friends as they fight for the light and struggling against the encroaching darkness invading his own heart. KH3 AU.
1. Prologue: The Thirteen Keys

_AN-Hey! Welcome all to my very first Kingdom Hearts fanfiction ever! I'm pretty excited about this, mostly since its sort of going to be a nice break from my GF/SU mega crossover Universe Falls, and because well... I love KH! I'm sort of a new fan, having only gotten into the series a little over a year ago, but I fell hard and fast for it, and when KH3 came out a few weeks ago, I played it in two days and LOVED it! So, you might be wondering what exactly this fic here is then. Well right off the bat its sort of an... AU of sorts of Kingdom Hearts 3. Don't get me wrong, like I said I LOVED KH3, but I kinda wanted to do my own spin on the story, basing things off of an old idea I had before 3 even came out, and now that it has come out, using 3's general structure as sort of a jumping off point to go from. So as a result, this fic will kind of take some parts of KH3 and will kind of novelize them in a way, but make no mistake, there is an original story to be told here, and its one that I'm VERY excited to share with you all!_

_Now for some more specifics (sorry for making this author's note so long! I just wanna make sure all my bases are covered!) Keys to the Kingdom is supposed to be set in place of 3, which is why I said its a bit of an AU fic. As a result, it'll have some of the same worlds from 3, but not all of them (the worlds that aren't making the cut for this fic from 3 are pretty much only Pirates of the Carribean (mostly cause I wasn't the biggest fan of that world in the actual game) and Monsters Inc (which I DID really love in the game, but it really doesn't fit in my plotline tbh. So instead, I'm going to have a BUNCH of other worlds that weren't included in 3, some from past KH games, some not, just to spice things up and help the plot. So, just to make things easier, I'd recommend being at least somewhat familiar with all these Disney properties before diving into this fic: Hercules, Toy Story, Up, Moana, Big Hero 6, Atlantis: The Lost Empire, Tangled, Coco, Cinderella, Princess and the Frog, Ducktales 2017, Aladdin (specifically Aladdin and the King of Thieves), Gravity Falls, Lilo and Stitch, Frozen, and Winnie the Pooh. Not sayin much more about what's gonna happen involving each of those properties, but basically, that's a taste of what's to come to get you excited ;) (also let it be known that I'm a HUGE Disney fan just as much as I'm a KH fan, so this is basically a labor of love for both!) _

_Next, some other things you should know: this fic is rated T for a reason. Things are... gonna get kinda dark later on down the line (though don't worry, my aim is to try and include as much KH charm in here as possible!), and that'll involve stuff like some minor blood and violence and such, as well as some pretty psychologically heavy moments. This fic WILL be a bit of an angstfest, so if that's not your thing, well... the door's right over there. Also, the main ships in this fic are gonna be as follows: Sora/Kairi, Roxas/Xion, Aqua/Terra, Vanitas/__Naminé (might sound a bit odd, but just hear me out on it, I got a plan to make it work), and of course the usual Disney ships from each respective property. _

_And... that's all I have to really say to cap off this stupidly long author's note! Again, I'm SUPER excited about this fic (I have a lot of it planned out already!) and while it is gonna be a bit on the long side (probably 70ish chapters, just sayin) I hope you all stick around and join me on this wild ride! And so... without any further ado... Here it is! Enjoy!_

* * *

_**Keys to the Kingdom**_

_Prologue: The Thirteen Keys _

_Long, long ago, all the worlds were still one. One day, this would be called the Age of Fairy Tales._

The massive clock tower rose high above the sprawl of homes and shops that made up Daybreak Town, casting shadows upon its mostly resting residents as the sun only barely began to peak over the distant hills. In these early hours of the morning, the city was quiet and calm, the only sound echoing through the cobblestone roads and alleyways being that of the ever-swinging pendulum of the monumental clock resting in the heart of the town itself. However, on this particular morning, the sounds of five sets of footsteps could also be heard approaching that very tower, their wondering whispers soon joining in as they congregated together before the imposing structure, confusion and curiosity hanging over all five of the young Keyblade wielders like a shroud.

"Wait… you mean the Master summoned all of you here too?"

"Yes, though… he didn't give a reason why other than that it was 'extremely important'."

"He said that to me too… I wonder what it could be?"

"Whatever it is, we should listen well to him. Its said that his eye can gaze far into the future after all."

"Well, if that's the case, then I guess they don't call him the Master of Masters for nothing, huh?"

"Speaking of which, there he is!"

The other wielders turned their gaze to where youngest among them was pointing, up towards the center of the clock tower before them. There, a lone figure stood before the smoothly-swinging pendulum, clad in a pitch black hood and cloak that obscured his features as he looked down at the group far below. He said nothing, his hands held calmly behind his back as he simply turned and walked off, heading back inside the tower itself and offering the five wielders the unspoken invitation to do the same.

And though they still hadn't the faintest idea as to why they were there, the ever-dutiful group nodded amongst themselves, eager to hear whatever it was their Master had to say.

* * *

"Hey, hey! There's my five apprentices of the hour!" the Master of Masters greeted cordially as the five youths entered his chamber. "Ira, Aced, Invi, Gula, and… Ava!" He pointed at each of them as he essentially called roll. "Oh, and let's not forget early-bird Luxu over here." The Master nodded back at his sixth apprentice, clad similarly to him as he stood in the shadows of the room, offering a terse, yet silent nod to his fellow apprentices and little else. "You're all right on time. Sorry to call you all here so early," the Master continued. "But we have a _lot _to talk about, so you might as well get comfy."

The Master nodded over to the nearby table, prompting his apprentices to take a seat. Even still, it wasn't long before one of them, namely Aced, spoke up to pose the question that was on all of their minds. "Master, if I may ask… what is that you've called us all here for?"

"Ah, always ready to get right to the point, aren't you, Aced?" the Master asked knowingly. "Well then, I guess I won't keep you all in suspense. See, lately I've been busy doing some… digging, so to speak."

"Digging?" Ava asked, confused. "About what?"

"About the future, of course," the Master said, walking around the table casually. "We have a pretty nice setup here, as you all know, with all of us Keyblade wielders keeping the worlds safe from darkness and whatnot. _But_… things aren't gonna stay like this forever."

"What do you mean?" Invi inquired, a hint of worry in her tone.

"What I mean is that change is coming," the Master turned away from the group rather mysteriously. "Whether we like it or not. And that change is gonna leave _nothing _the same as what it once was. So I decided that we're better of safe than sorry and by _preparing _for it rather than panicking over it, which is why you all are here."

The wielders all looked to each other, still confused by the Master's vague implications as a whole. What did he mean that change was coming? What kind of change and on what scale? And if indeed it was a change for the worst as most of them had already started to fear, then what could possibly be done to prevent it?

It seemed as though the Master had read their worrisome thoughts as he turned back to his desk, picking up a stack of thick, stately books that he began to pass around the table. All five of the books were seemingly exactly the same, freshly-printed tomes with elegant silver engravings upon smooth blue covers. Needless to say that all five of the wielders were quite intrigued by these volumes as they began to leaf through them, spotting entries on Keyblades, darkness, and more.

"Master, what is this?" Ira asked with a focused frown.

"That…" the Master pointed to one of the books lying on the table. "Is the Book of Prophecies. Wrote it myself, so you can trust me when I say it's a pretty good read. Basically, it lays out everything you need to know about what's gonna happen, which, in turn will help you get everyone ready for it."

"Um… how are we supposed to do that, exactly?" Gulu asked as he shut his copy of the book.

"By taking charge of things around here!" the Master proclaimed with apt vigor. "That's why, from here on out, none of you will be Keyblade Masters anymore-"

"What?!" Aced exclaimed, appalled by such a claim. "B-but Master, we… we all passed our Mark of Mastery exams years ago! How could you just take our titles away from us like this?!"

"Ah, you didn't let me finish," the Master shook his finger disapprovingly. "You aren't going to be Keyblade Masters because you're all getting a promotion! Today, I'm upgrading all five of you from Masters to _Foretellers_."

"Foretellers?" Ava asked, curious.

"Yep! It's a pretty snazzy title if I do say so myself," the Master said, hands on his hips. "Each of you are going to go out there and recruit groups—or "Unions" of Keyblade wielders to train and teach, just like I did for all of you. Then you'll each send your Unions out to fight Heartless, ya know, those pesky creatures of darkness I warned you about? And from those Heartless, your Unions will gather light, which in turn, will help protect you from the darkness. So you see, it all comes full circle. Makes sense, right?"

"I suppose so…" Ira mused thoughtfully. "But Master, why chose the five of us for such an important task?"

"Why not you five?" the Master shrugged. "After all, I _did _train you myself. Unless… unless you think I wasn't a good enough teacher…?"

"N-no!" Ira exclaimed, flustered. "No, that's not at all what I was trying to say, Master! You've taught us _incredibly _well, of course!"

"Glad to hear it," the Master said mirthfully as he retrieved something else from his desk: a group of beautifully made, exceptionally intricate masks. "Now, don't think I'm spoiling you all, but I've got even more presents to hand out. Ira, why don't we start with you?" He presented his eldest apprentice with a grand unicorn mask with a graceful mane flowing out of it. "Here you go, the mask of the unicorn. Designates you as the leader of the Union Unicornis. As reliable as you are, I know you won't let me down."

"T-thank you, Master," Ira nodded dutifully as he accepted his new mask and role, knowing well the importance of living up to the Master's expectations.

"And for you, the _fearless _Aced," the Master approached his physically strongest apprentice. "The mask of the bear and the Union Ursus. Go out there and gather up some strong wielders to stand by your side for me, got it?"

"O-of course I do, Master," Aced said with a hint of pride for his new position in his tone. "I won't disappoint you."

"Hm… we'll see," the Master retorted vaguely, leaving Aced in a bit of confusion as he continued onto his next apprentice. "Now, Invi, as upright and virtuous as you are, you get the mask of the snake and the Union Anguis. I have no doubts that you'll lead them well."

"I… I shall do my very best," Invi said, forcing her voice to be stern as she accepted the great task before her.

"Gula!" the Master passed off the next mask to his second youngest apprentice. "Coolheaded and calm; I always liked that about you. Which is why you get the mask of the leopard and the Union Leopardus to call your own."

"I… understand, Master," Gula said evenly as he took his mask and all it entailed.

"And last but not least, Ava," the Master stopped at his last apprentice. "Young, pure-hearted, and kind. Just what we need to balance this group out. So, for you, I have the mask of the fox and the Union Vulpes. I have a feeling you'll lead them to the light with no problem."

Ava was silent for a moment as she stared down at the mask in her hands, awestruck at the heavy responsibility that now rested on her shoulders, even despite her youth. Still, in the end she nodded, confirming and hoping all at the same time that she could carry it out to the best of her abilities. "Yes, Master," she said with a deep breath of resolve. "I'll try—no. I _will_."

"You got it," the Master said, offering her a playful pat on the head before he moved to stand before the entire group once more. "Now, you're all caught up to speed. Don't worry, I'm still gonna be around to answer any questions you might have—for a while anyway—but for now, there's still one more thing we need to talk about. And it's… a big thing. A _very _big thing." The Master's usually playful tone turned serious as he paused for a moment, letting silence hang throughout the chamber. All of the newly deemed Foretellers leaned forward, and even Luxu perked up, curious to hear whatever it was the Master intended on revealing next.

"What I'm about to tell you doesn't leave this room," he began, his tone surprisingly hard and cold. "At least not until the right time has arrived. Each of you know that every world is connected by one great light, one heart that binds everything and everyone that lives, that ever has lived and ever will live together: Kingdom Hearts."

As the Master's last words echoed throughout the chamber, an air of reverence fell upon the Foretellers, all of them paying their silent respect to the source of light within their world. Kingdom Hearts was seen largely as a thing of legend by most, but the Master's research had confirmed to them that it was indeed real and was indeed the very thing that connected everything in existence, just as he had said.

"There's no doubt Kingdom Hearts is going to play a role in what's to come," the Master continued almost ominously. "Which is why all of you need to know this: the door to Kingdom Hearts can indeed be summoned by its counterpart, the weapon after which all Keyblades in existence are made in the image of: the X-blade. I've studied that exact X-blade for years, and I used that research to pull each of your Keyblades out of your own hearts, but… none of them are the same as the real deal. All of you already know this, but what I'm about to tell you is something that almost _nobody _knows."

Once again, the Master paused, leaving all six of his apprentices in almost breathless suspense until he finally unveiled this great secret to them in a tone so rigid and emotionless that it barely even sounded like the Master at all. "Even if someone does use the X-blade to summon Kingdom Hearts, that's all they'll do. Its true power, its complete essence, is something that can never be contained or controlled by anyone. _Unless_… that someone were to gather the thirteen Keys to the Kingdom."

As captivated as they were by the Master's lecture, most of the Foretellers barely even thought to speak up to interrupt him. However, as the Master let his words linger on the almost suffocating silent air once again, Ira decided to work up the nerve to venture the question each of them wanted to ask. "The… Keys to the Kingdom, Master?"

"Yep," the Master nodded, his tone a bit lighter than before but still just as serious. "Thirteen special Keyblades forged by the essence of Kingdom Hearts itself. They're scattered across a bunch of different worlds and hidden _extremely _well, to the point that looking for them is basically a fool's errand in and of itself. But… without them… well, anyone looking to take over Kingdom Hearts for themselves is bound to be _real _disappointed, let's just say that."

"W-well, that's a good thing, isn't it?" Ava spoke up somewhat apprehensively. "That means that if someone with a heart filled with darkness tries to claim Kingdom Hearts as their own, then they won't be able to… right?"

"Eh, maybe, maybe not," the Master shrugged. "I guess it all depends on whether or not the Keys stay hidden or not. But… I have a feeling that nobody's even gonna go looking for them for _quite _some time, so you shouldn't have anything to worry about on that front. Just as long as we keep this a secret between the six of us."

Without hesitation, the Foretellers nodded their confirmation that they would hold this prophecy to the upmost secrecy for the sake of protecting both Kingdom Hearts and the world itself. In fact, the only one of their number who didn't make this same silent, solemn vow was Luxu, who simply turned to leave the room without another word to act upon the careful instructions his Master had given him, as odd yet integral as they might have been.

"Now, I want you all to forget about all of this Key nonsense for now," the Master said with a passive wave of his hand. "Its not really that important for any of you to think too much about anyway. After all, you five each have much _bigger _roles ahead of you that we need to discuss. So… listen up!"

From there, the newly-named Foretellers spent the rest of the day heeding every word their Master had to say about their new positions with careful scrutiny. After all, as far as they were aware, the change that was on the horizon needed to be properly prepared for, regardless of what that change exactly was. However, when the five eventually did discover exactly what that change would entail, they were all quick to realize just how important the burden that rested upon each of their shoulders actually was.

For in time, the Master of Masters disappeared, leaving the fate of the worlds in the hands of his dutiful apprentices. The future, as bleak as it had been foretold, should have seemed bright, but inevitably, distrust stirred between the five, which soon turned to conflict, which eventually turned to war. And that great war, waged over the light of Kingdom Hearts itself, enshrouded all worlds in darkness, just as the Master prophesied would come to pass.

In the end, when the light was reborn and the worlds—restored yet now disconnected—returned with it, the mystery and allure of Kingdom Hearts and the unimaginable power it posed still stood, beckoning hearts filled with enough greed and lust for power to try and claim it as their own. And yet, each of those hearts missed one, or rather thirteen essential pieces of the puzzle, pieces that would indeed bestow the might of Kingdom Hearts and all that entailed to them without question.

For, just as the Master of Masters had told his apprentices centuries ago, whoever claimed the thirteen Keys to the Kingdom would be destined to rule not only Kingdom Hearts, but every single world under its bright, all-encompassing light, now and forevermore.

* * *

**AN: So yeah, something of a dry prologue (Back Cover is a bit of a snore in my opinion, though the Master of Masters is pretty interesting!) but needed to set up some important plot aspects for the rest of the fic, so I can't complain. Either way, next time around we'll focus on some more immediately relevant stuff, which will be pretty fun. So yeah, if you liked this, don't hesitate to follow/favorite/and most importantly REVIEW! Feedback is what I thrive off of, so I'd love to hear yours! And with that, I leave you (though not for long since I'm going to post the next chapter immediately after putting this one up lol). Until next time! :) **


	2. Chapter 1: Remaining Recusant

_AN-Alright so I kinda lied about posting this chapter immediately after the last one, but only because my power went out last night while I was trying to upload it due to exceedingly high winds. Whatcha gonna do? Anyway... Heh, yeah don't get used to me uploading chapters so quickly, tbh I kinda am on a roll at the moment with this, mostly since I'm so fired up for it! Now fair warning, this chapter is kinda more or less a bit of a novelization of the ending of Dream Drop Distance, but its important setup for the rest of the fic, so I think its fitting. Plus it was a lot of fun to work on, so that's a plus too! And so, without keeping you from it any further, here you go!_

* * *

_Chapter 1: Remaining Recusant_

_How did I live in a kingdom of thieves?  
_

When he eventually looked back at that moment in retrospect, Riku would wish he had done so many things differently than he had. If he had known what was going to happen, he would have moved faster, he would acted instead of reacting, he would have done _everything _in his power to save Sora, to rescue his best friend, to _protect what mattered most_, before it was too late.

But, as he would find out much later on, he _had _been too late. And as a result, that was the moment when it had all started to fall apart.

Because instead of rushing to pull the still-sleeping Sora as far away from Xehanort's grasp as humanly possible like he _should_ have done, Riku stood alongside the king, both of them equally dumbfounded as the elderly master slowly rose to stand upon his elevated throne, his sinister Keyblade materializing in his grasp. "But first," Xehanort continued his lengthy monologue, his tone as calm and collected as ever. "The thirteen darknesses shall be united. All the seats have been filled…" The master's already triumphant grin widened as he glanced down at the throne across from his, where Sora still sat sleeping, completely unaware of the grave danger he was currently in. "And now the last vessel shall bear my heart like the rest!"

Upon Xehanort's wordless command, Sora's seat steadily began to rise so that it could be on the same level of that of the master's. Needless to say that this was enough to shake both Riku and Mickey out of their shock and prompt them into action. The pair raced forward, Keyblades in hand with the intent to rescue Sora from Xehanort's dark designs. However, as usual, the Organization seemed to be two steps ahead of them as Xemnas and Ansem also moved swiftly to counter them. The Superior easily managed to pin the king against one of the other thrones as he tried to leap to Sora's aid, and Riku only managed a few running step forward before the Seeker of Darkness tackled him and brutally restrained him against the central platform.

"N-no!" Riku shouted, struggling fiercely against Ansem's firm hold. "Sora!" His fight, however valiant, was to no avail as he glanced up to see the throne finally end its ascent, putting Sora directly in Xehanort's open range.

The master said nothing, apparently assured of his victory as he held up his deadly Keyblade, waving his hand over it to enshroud it with the immense darkness of his very own heart. All either Riku or Mickey could do was watch as, in one swift, heavy swing, Xehanort brought his blade down, sending a piece of his heart flying directly to Sora with nothing to stop it, nothing to protect the keybearer's heart from being overtaken by the very same darkness and malice that filled the master's own.

That is, until it was stopped dead in its tracks. Or at least… it seemed to be.

A fierce explosion rattled the entire chamber, flames ricocheting off of the blast as Riku continued staring up at the scene high above him, desperate to know what had happened and fearing the absolute worst.

"He made it!" king exclaimed, oddly relieved despite the circumstances as the smoke surrounding the throne began to clear to clear to reveal that someone, somehow, had indeed come to Sora's rescue. Even if that someone was perhaps the last person Riku could have ever expected to arrive at a moment such as this.

"Axel?!" Xigbar shouted from his throne, clearly caught off guard. Likewise, Riku gasped at the sight of the former Organization member, who stood high upon the throne, flames still dying down around him as he held one of his chakrams in one hand, and keeping a secure hold on Sora's still unconscious form with the other.

"Axel?" the former Nobody scoffed sardonically. "Please. The name's _Lea_. Got it memorized?"

Despite any former conflict with Axel—or Lea, rather—Riku was so overwhelmed with relief at this timely save that he honestly would have hugged the former assassin if he was able. Despite the shock and confusion spreading amongst the Organization members above him, Riku still spared as much of a glance at Sora as he could, noting that, despite all the odds, he appeared to be just fine from a cursory glance, the fact that he was still soundly sleeping notwithstanding. And while that fact alone was still rather worrying in and of itself, Riku still allowed himself a small sigh of reprieve that he hadn't lost his best friend after all. At least, that's what he thought.

"You're not supposed to be here!" Xigbar snapped up at Lea, sending him a rather vicious glare.

"Promises to keep," Lea shrugged, nonchalant as ever. "I'll always be there to get my friends back. What, bad timing?" The former assassin smirked as he glanced up at Xehanort in particular. "You had your perfect little script, but you kinda forgot to write the sequel. Now… let's find out what happens!"

"What now, you old coot?" Xigbar hissed up at Xehanort as he slammed a petulant hand down on his throne. "Our time is up!"

The master didn't offer much of a reaction, though even so, his usual knowing grin was still apparent, despite the fact that his plans seemed to have been thwarted. In fact, if anything, his malicious smile seemed to grow as he practically ignored Lea's unexpected intrusion and instead kept his sights on Sora, sensing something from his supposedly failed thirteenth vessel that none of the others could.

At the same time, another one of the unknown Organization members suddenly leapt from their seat, soaring towards Lea as a massive, familiar claymore appeared in their hands. The former assassin countered the vicious attack evenly and the heavy strike was more than enough to blow the hood of the organization member back to reveal a face that made Lea's blood run cold.

"Isa!" he exclaimed sharply, holding his own against his former friend pressing hard against him. Saïx said nothing, instead simply sending Lea a cold, piercing glare until the former assassin finally broke the tension between them by leaping cleanly out of the claymore's range and down to towards the central platform below, taking Sora with him. With Xemnas as distracted by this as he was, Mickey took an opportunity of his own, lashing out with his Keyblade only for the Superior to vanish into thin air, releasing him all the same. Likewise, Riku pushed back hard against Ansem, summoning his Keyblade again just as Lea and Mickey joined him in their bold stand against the Organization and their dark desires.

"Why are you here, Axel?" Xemnas asked, the disapproval towards his former underling clear in his tone.

"No, I told you, my name's-" Lea cut himself off with an exasperated sigh as he decided to save his breath. "Augh, whatever, _Axel_, fine. Now, let's get outta here!"

"Right!" Mickey soundly agreed, knowing that the sooner they got themselves out of the Organization's reach, the better off they'd all be.

Of course, they weren't about to let any of them leave so easily. Ansem was the first to react, summoning his imposing guardian of darkness to his aid to halt their purposed escape. The creature rushed down to the platform below, easily snatching both Riku and the king up in its clawed grip. Lea managed to jump back just in the nick of time, but with his hands full with keeping Sora safe as they were, he was quite ill-suited to take the beast on alone at a time like this. Fortunately though, he wouldn't have to.

Two, fearful, familiar cries broke through the air of dread and tension hanging throughout the chamber as a bright light sparked from high above the platform. And out of that light, fell a pair that happened to land squarely on Ansem's guardian, delivering a blow that forced the creature to disappear and release its captives on the spot, as accidental as that blow might have been.

"Were we supposed to do that?" Donald groaned from his spot on the ground.

"I think so…" Goofy replied just as languidly as he rubbed the sore spot on his head.

"Goofy! Donald!" the king exclaimed with a surprised, yet relieved grin as he watched his friends slowly pick themselves up off the ground. "You saved us!"

"We did?" Donald asked, initially confused before he quickly perked up. "Uh, I-I mean! Of course we did! That was the plan all along!"

"It was?" Goofy asked with a frown. "Cause last I checked, we came in here without much of a plan at all…"

"Shh!" Donald scolded, pulling on the captain's arm. "Don't tell them that!"

This exchange was almost enough to elicit a genuine laugh out of Riku and Mickey, or at least it would of if they hadn't glanced up to notice the Organization members beginning to fade into thin air one by one.

"We are out of time," Xehanort announced, seemingly unphased. "Neither the union of light nor darkness has been achieved, and we must all return whence we came. But the gathering of the seven and thirteen is nigh. Be sure to know which side you're on…" The master's calculated smile returned as he looked down towards Sora in particular, something that none of the others even noticed as on edge as they all already were. "Let us finish this at the fated place, once your lights and my darknesses have joined together!"

And with that, Xehanort and the other members of the True Organization XIII disappeared, taking their leave until the day the decisive battle between light and darkness the master himself spoke of was to transpire. A day that was not as far off as the stalwart group left alone in the round room might have hoped.

* * *

Without question, Riku had agreed to dive into Sora's heart in the hopes of waking him up.

It was an easy choice to make, one that he barely even had to think twice about, even despite Mickey and Yen Sid warning him of the possible dangers. After all, he knew Sora would and even _had _gone to the same lengths to save him. It was only fair that he finally return the favor.

And so Riku had made the dive, only to be met with a pall of immense darkness in a place where none should have ever been. He wasn't exactly sure what lengths Xehanort and the other members of the Organization had gone to in order to plunge Sora into such a deep, relentless sleep as this, but he assumed that this pervading darkness had something to do with it. Yet even as he fought to battle the vicious armored Nightmare that beset him almost the moment he arrived, Riku couldn't help but feel as though the shadpws all around him felt familiar. He couldn't quite place it, but it was as though this was a kind of darkness he had known before, from its aura to even its scent, and everything in between, as faint as it all was amidst everything else. He didn't really know what to make of it, but all the same it worried him, offended him even as he remembered that it had taken a hold in _Sora's _heart, of all places.

Which was why Riku decided to fight with every ounce of strength he had in his own heart to free Sora from the darkness invading his. A goal that, by all accounts, he _thought _he had succeeded at.

But once again, in retrospect, Riku would eventually look back and see how foolish and blind that thought really had been.

Even so, he was surprised, upon defeating the armored Nightmare, to find himself now out of the darkness and standing on the familiar sunset-soaked shores of the Destiny Islands. In a way, the comfort of the waves crashing calmly against the sand would should have felt comforting, like a long-awaited homecoming of sorts. And perhaps, Riku thought, it would have been, if only Sora had been there to greet him with his usual cheerful smile that he hadn't even realized he had come to miss so very much.

Yet instead of Sora, what Riku did find scattered across the shores of the play island were three other people entirely. The first was unquestionably familiar, and even seeing him again brought Riku a slight pang of guilt that he couldn't quite chase away even long after the fact: Roxas. The question he posed was strange and cryptic, and once Riku presented an answer to it, he vanished, seemingly without a trace. Moments later, Roxas seemed to appear before him again, yet upon a second glance, Riku was quick to realize that this boy wasn't the ex-Organization member, despite how remarkably similar they were in appearance. Another strange question came and went before Riku found himself face to face with the last of the trio, a girl this time. She bore a striking resemblance to Kairi, even despite her raven hair and Organization cloak, and though Riku could have sworn he'd never once seen her before in his life, she radiated a strange sort of familiarity that could not be denied.

After answering her question, Riku found himself alone on the shoreline once more, taking in the dying light of the setting sun sinking over the sparkling sea. A certain sense of peace settled over him, even as he retrieved an apparent message in a bottle carried in by the tide. He hadn't the faintest idea of its contents, and though he had half a mind to open it and find out, he refrained upon being met with yet another familiar figure strolling down to meet him on the shore: Ansem the Wise.

The conversation that followed was brief, yet meaningful, imparting Riku with an abundance of information he'd be sure to take back to the waking world with him. Namely the data the researcher had apparently hidden safe within Sora's heart during his year long slumber, data that, or at least Ansem believed, could perhaps prove to be the key to saving the hearts of those who had been lost.

"The heart has always been quick to grow," the researcher said in thoughtful reflection as Riku listened patiently to what he had to say. "Each exposure to light, to the natural world, to other people, shapes the most malleable part inside of us. Nobodies are not different from us in that manner. Sora was the only one able to return to his human form without destroying his Nobody. That is a testament to the love in his heart for other people, and the bonds that tie them together."

Ansem paused, staring out upon the sea as his pensive tone turned somewhat hopeful. "Perhaps… he has the power to bring back the hearts and existences of those connected to him—to recreate people we thought were lost to us forever. Our most precious treasures, even an empty puppet, the trees of the forest, the petals on the wind… there are hearts all around us, everywhere we look. And it does not take superhuman powers to see them. Surely we remember as children the way our hearts made everything seem so shiny and perfect. Sora has a heart like that—uncorrupted, willing to see the good before the bad. A heart that will not fall so easily to the darkness, even when it attempts to claim every inch of it for its own. When he sees the heart in something, it then becomes real. When a connection seems broken, he may have the power to mend it. He has touched countless hearts, he has accepted them, and he has _saved _them. And some of those hearts have never left him, whether they fell to darkness or were trapped there, whether they sleep in the darkness of Sora's heart, or were welcomed into its warmth… they can be saved. All Sora needs to do is be himself and follow wherever it is that his heart takes him. It is the best and the _only_ way. The rest… is in there."

The researcher subtly nodded down to the bottle in Riku's hands, one that apparently contained more hope than he had initially realized. Hope that could very well mean all the difference in their eventual fight against Xehanort and his followers. "Alright," he nodded, grateful. "Thanks. Thank you."

"Of course," Ansem nodded cordially. "Now, why is it that that _you _are here?"

Upon hearing this question, Riku couldn't help but let something of a small, awkward laugh out in spite of himself. "Uh… I… kinda need to wake Sora up…" he admitted somewhat sheepishly.

"Don't tell me he's gone to sleep _again_?" Ansem asked almost incredulously.

"Yeah," Riku chuckled softly. "What'll I do with him?"

"What indeed?" the researcher agreed, sharing in this good-natured humor. "Never fear. Sora is safe."

"Huh?" Riku blinked, caught off guard but unquestionably relieved to hear such a thing after everything that happened.

"He's not here," Ansem shook his head. "You see, by defeating the Nightmare imprisoning Sora, you freed him. Then you came here, and were questioned by three young people. That was the final key to awaken him."

"S-so… you mean…?" Riku trailed off, wondering if it was too good to be true and praying that it wasn't.

"Sora is awake," Ansem confirmed, turning to the boy with a genuine smile. "You can go home now."

"Really?" Riku asked, unable to hold back his own smile as warmed by this amazing news as he was. "Thank you." Not wanting to keep Sora waiting any longer, Riku turned to the ocean, summoning, ironically enough, the Kingdom Key itself to open up the keyhole that would return him to the waking world once again. He unlocked it as swiftly as ever, but even as he prepared to take his leave, Ansem called out to him one last time.

"Young man! I do not believe you ever told me your name," the researcher remarked, curious.

Though somewhat surprised that this version of Ansem didn't seem to already know it, he still offered the researcher a parting smile even as he began to glide up towards the light. "It's Riku," he affirmed confidently before he began his ascent, more than ready for his long, _long_-awaited reunion with Sora. A reunion that almost never happened, but would be more than worth the wait.

* * *

And what a reunion it was.

Riku was admittedly quite caught off guard to wake up only to find that not only had Sora indeed awakened just as Ansem had said, but that he also seemed to be in the midst of what looked like a small party alongside Donald and Goofy. Said party was soon all but forgotten, however, for the moment Sora noticed Riku was awake, he didn't hesitate to bombard him with a sudden, tight, elated hug, accompanied by more than a few delighted proclamations of relief. As baffled as Riku was, that relief was something he couldn't help but share, especially as he was now able to see for himself that sure enough, Sora was just fine, back to his usual upbeat, cheerful self, even despite how close they had all been to losing him.

Even so, the ongoing levity amongst everyone gathered in the tower soon turned serious again as Yen Sid prepared to dole out the results of Sora and Riku's Mark of Mastery exam. The others all stood by, waiting in baited curiosity as the two Keyblade wielders stood before the sorcerer's desk, eager to hear whatever verdict he intended on giving in regards to their abilities.

"More than anything," Yen Sid began as stern and calm as ever. "I am grateful to have you both back from Xehanort's deception unharmed. And I am grateful to Lea, whose spontaneous actions turned the tides." The former assassin smirked from his corner of the room as he casually leaned against the wall, though knowing the importance of the moment, he said nothing and allowed the sorcerer to continue speaking his piece. "I am also deeply sorry," Yen Sid went on, addressing Sora and Riku once more. "For failing to perceive the danger and throwing you headlong into a such a perilous test. Even so, this experience has revealed many hidden truths, and we must gird ourselves for the great clash with darkness that lies before us. I believe we need a new Keyblade Master, one with a new kind of power. Sora and Riku, you both deserve the honor, _however_, one of you braved the realm of sleep again to unlock the final Keyhole and save a friend." The sorcerer paused, as if to let the weight of his words sink in before finally delivered the exam's final results. "Riku, I name you our new true Keyblade Master."

A palpable moment of silent surprise rang through the room at this announcement, and Riku, as admittedly stunned by it was he was, didn't even know how to react to his newly-bestowed title. Sora was the first to do so instead, breaking the silence with an excited gasp and another celebratory hug. "Way to go, Riku!" he exclaimed brightly, catching the new Keyblade Master off guard yet again. "I knew you were gonna pass with flying colors! This is just so awesome!"

As awed as he was by his new title, Riku couldn't help but focus his attention on Sora, or rather on the fact that only _one _of them had been named a Master instead of both. "I… y-yeah…" Riku said somewhat distantly, still rather amazed that he had passed at all. "I guess it is. But… what about you, Sora?"

"Oh yeah!" Sora turned back towards Yen Sid expectantly. "What about me? Did I pass too?"

The sorcerer let out something of a sad sigh as he shook his head truthfully. "Sora… Although you and Riku both preformed admirably during your exams, the overall purpose of your journey through the sleeping worlds was to allow both of you to master the power of waking. Riku accomplished this by diving into your dreams to awaken your heart from the depths of slumber. However, it is a power that you have yet to achieve, one that is necessary for preparing ourselves for the inevitable battle against Master Xehanort. It is for that reason that I'm afraid that you are still not ready to receive the title of Master. I apologize."

For a moment, Sora had nothing to say in response to this rather discouraging news, nor did he seem to show much of a reaction to it at all, almost as if he was still trying to process it in general. Briefly, genuine disappointment seemed to flash across his expression, his hands ever so slightly clenching into fists at his sides. And then, without even skipping a beat, he seemed to settle into cool acceptance over a failing that certainly would have set anyone else back a great deal. "Eh, its fine," he said with a small smile and a shrug. "I'll just have to try harder next time is all. Besides, Riku still passed!" At this, Sora once again threw an arm around Riku's shoulder's, largely not even noticing the bewilderment and slight concern written all over his friend's face. "And like I said, that's completely awesome!"

"Gee, Sora," Goofy spoke up. "You're kinda acting like you really _did _pass."

"I told you Sora still needed more practice," Donald remarked, crossing his arms.

"Hey!" Sora snapped, playfully offended.

"So… I really am a Keyblade Master…?" Riku interjected, still trying to take it all in. Yen Sid nodded his confirmation to this fact and Sora warmly did the same as Mickey and the others came in to offer their accolades.

"Congratulations, Riku!" Mickey bid proudly, extending a hand for the new Master to shake.

"Thank you, Mickey," Riku finally smiled, returning his long-time friend's handshake firmly. "I owe it to my friends."

"Ah, I'll catch up with ya in no time flat," Lea cut in, still leaning against the far wall.

"What?" Sora asked, surprised. "_You _wanna be a Keyblade Master?"

"Yeah," Lea nodded with a smirk. "I mean, I came here to learn how to learn how to wield one. You know, I was gonna come swooping in, Keyblade in hand, but… I just couldn't get mine to materialize. Must be in the snap of the wrist or something…" To prove his point, the former assassin held his hand out, only to be just as shocked as everyone else when a fiery-themed Keyblade suddenly flashed into existence in it. A collective gasp rose up from everyone in the room, the importance of this moment not lost on any of them; after all, it wasn't every day that a new Keyblade wielder was discovered, much less in such an unexpected way as this. "Well…" Lea grinned as he turned his new Keyblade over, inspecting it proudly. "What do ya know? Looks like I've already got a head start in catching up to you two after all."

"I'll say!" Sora laughed as Riku joined in, just as amused.

"To see you successfully summon your Keyblade is a reassuring sight indeed, Lea," Yen Sid spoke up with a genuine smile. "After all, we will need all the help we can get in our struggle against Xehanort and those allied with him. Along those same lines, our focus now should be rallying more allies of light to our side as well. There is still much that needs to be done, but currently, I believe now would be an appropriate time to regroup and recuperate. The rest of you are free to take your leave for the time being, though I would like Lea to stay behind to receive further instruction about what to do next. But before you go, remember, all of you, our work in protecting the worlds from the great threat that Xehanort poses to them is far from over; in fact… I'd say it has only just begun…"

* * *

"What do you mean you're _leaving_?" Riku asked, his arms crossed as he stood in front of the door leading out of the tower, essentially blocking Sora's path.

"Aw, c'mon, Riku, its no big deal," Sora assured, barely managing to skirt past his friend to get outside. "There's just something I have to take care of really quick. I'll be back in a few hours, I promise."

"Hmph, a few hours," Donald deadpanned as he joined along in following Riku, Mickey, and Goofy out after Sora. "That's what you _always _say, and then a few 'hours' ends up turning into a few days!"

"Hey! I just like taking my time with things is all!" Sora shot back, defensively.

"Are ya sure you have to go?" Goofy asked, showing the concern that Donald likely meant by his remarks.

"Well, I did _sorta _doze off…" Sora noted as he continued on his way. "Like I said, I just have some stuff to take care of. And before you ask, don't worry; its not 'dangerous' or anything like that. I'm just going to visit some friends for a bit and then I'll be right back."

"Sora…" Riku mused rather plaintively. "You know normally I wouldn't mind, but… after what juts happened… I feel like you should take at least _one _of us with you. Just in case."

At this, Sora finally paused, glancing back at the group with a small, yet knowing smile. "Aw, I appreciate all the concern, you guys, but seriously, I'll be _fine_. You worry too much."

"Only because _you_ always seem to be getting yourself into _some _kind of trouble!" Donald fussed before letting out a relenting sigh. "So just… try not to get yourself in _anymore_ trouble, ok?"

"You got it," Sora agreed with a small laugh and a playful salute, one that actually did manage to set not only Donald, but the others at ease as well.

"Be careful," Mickey advised with equal concern.

"_Very _careful," Riku added with a hint of levity in his tone.

"Right!" Sora assured brightly as he prepared to summon his Keyblade to open the way. "See you soon!" In its usual flash, the Kingdom Key appeared in his grip, easily summoning a Keyhole that would lead back into the sleeping worlds once more. Despite his apparent confidence in letting Sora go off on his own like this, Riku couldn't deny a strange sense of apprehension as he watched his friend take his leave. There was no doubt that he'd be back again soon, Riku would make sure of that, but even so, something still felt… off in a way that he couldn't quite place.

But perhaps, he would have been able to, and maybe he could have even found a way to stop all it all before it even had a chance to begin… if only he had seen the faintest spark of unwelcome golden yellow invading Sora's otherwise deep ocean blue eyes as he disappeared into the light.

* * *

**AN-Ooooo so yeah some pretty interesting setup here. Next time we'll kinda be having a bit more novelizing, this time for 2.8 because I still have more stuff to set up (don't worry, I'll get the ball rolling when it comes to the plot soon, I promise!) but there will still be some original stuff sprinkled in for... reasons ;) Anyway, as usual don't forget to follow/favorite/and most of all REVIEW if you liked this! Until next time! **


	3. Chapter 2: To Guard the Light

_AN-Hey! Look at me on a complete roll with this fic, getting three chapters out for it in less than a week! Well, what can I say, I'm SUPER excited about this story, so I might as well try to get us to the goods of it as soon as I can. So yeah, like I said, this chapter is mostly novelizing the non Aqua-flashback parts of Fragmentary Passage, but there is some original stuff sprinkled in here to keep things interesting! So with all that, I won't keep you from it. Here ya go! Enjoy!_

* * *

_Chapter 2: To Guard the Light_

_Breath, should I take a deep?_

"The Keyblade Wars of yore plunged the true Kingdom Hearts into darkness and the X-blade was shattered," Yen Sid offered Mickey his wisdom as sagely as ever. The sorcerer had only just sent Lea off to Radiant Garden on what would be his first "assignment", and now both him and the king awaited Riku's return from his own suddenly-requested errand. In the meantime, Yen Sid heeded the copious questions his former apprentice had for him after their most recent encounter with Xehanort, questions that the prudent sorcerer shrewdly answered. "But the light still shining in the hearts of children rebuilt the world we know today. And the light from the broken X-blade was then divided into seven, to protect the number of pure hearts in the world."

"Seven pure lights…" Mickey repeated thoughtfully. "They're… the princesses of heart!"

"Indeed," Yen Sid nodded. "Those seven pure hearts form the very source of all light in the world. If they are lost, the world will again give way to shadow. Thus, even if we deliberately avoid finding our seven lights to avert another Keyblade War, Xehanort will still target the seven princesses in order to forge the X-blade."

"So… there's gonna be a clash between the seven lights and thirteen darknesses…" Mickey began, aptly worried. "And there's nothing we can do to avoid triggering another Keyblade War?"

The sorcerer didn't answer right away, his head bowed pensively before he offered his verdict. "That's not entirely the case. There are still two avenues we can take to prevent the worlds from falling into Xehanort's hands. The first, is to protect the seven pure hearts by gathering seven lights strong enough to stand against the thirteen darknesses."

"So… we're still missing one guardian of light…" the king noted with a frown. "Oh! But wait! What's the other way we could take?"

"The other way…" Yen Sid began, closing his eyes in thought. "Is to-"

Before the sorcerer could even get another word out, the door to his chamber suddenly creaked up, catching the pair's attention instantly. "Riku! You're back!" the king exclaimed, surprised as he turned to face the newly-named Master.

"That's right," Riku nodded before dutifully turning to the sorcerer. "Master Yen Sid, I brought you the 'guest' you asked for, but… you never said why…"

"Huh?" Mickey asked, confused, that is, until he spotted the new figure Riku stepped out of the way for. "Wow!"

"I have come to learn that you, too, can wield a Keyblade," Yen Sid addressed his new guest cordially. "I am glad you are here."

Slowly and somewhat shyly, Kairi nodded as she properly stepped into the room, feeling rather out of place, even with Riku standing right beside her. Before she even worked up the nerve to say anything, she stole a brief glance over at the new Master, who offered her a kind, confident smile and a reassuring nod, reinforcing the encouragement he had given her when he had first arrived at the island to retrieve her. "Y-yes, sir," she finally said, bowing somewhat out of respect for the sorcerer. "Though… I've only used it a few times… and I'm not really that great with it, to be perfectly honest…"

"Don't be so modest," Riku crossed his arms, still grinning over at her. "Sure, you're a little rough around the edges, and you can be a bit reckless—wonder where you got _that _from—" This was enough to elicit a small, bright chuckle from Kairi, one that was more than enough to set her at ease, especially as she warmly thought of who Riku was referring to. "But still, you've got plenty of potential."

"Aw, thanks, Riku," Kairi smiled, grateful. "I'm glad to have your vote of confidence."

Riku shrugged, his tone casual yet sincere as he offered her an affirming glance. "Well, if anyone deserves it, it's you."

"Indeed," Yen Sid interjected evenly. "The potential Riku speaks of is an admirable trait to be sure, one that can be honed and harnessed into the proper skill befitting a true eventual Keyblade Master. And in dire time such as these, it is potential that would benefit our efforts greatly." The sorcerer paused to let the weight of his words sink in as the trio gathered before him exchanged a wondering glance.

"The great battle with Xehanort is almost upon us," he continued, this time in blunt, simple terms. "As you know, we must take action to keep the seven pure lights safe, and thus we must hasten to assemble the seven guardians of light. It is time to return to our world the three Keyblade wielders we lost over a decade ago. Ventus, Terra, and Aqua must be saved from their sad ends, for they still have more to achieve. Following their first battle with Xehanort, Ventus' heart refused to awaken, and so Aqua found a safe location to conceal him. But when she set off in search of her other missing friend, Terra, she fell into a place from which there is no return without outside help." As Yen Sid finished this lecture, he nodded to his former apprentice, prompting the king to speak his piece on what he knew about Aqua's whereabouts.

"I saw her," Mickey began, his tone devout and serious. "In the Realm of Darkness."

In the brief silence that followed, Riku and Kairi looked to each other, curious, before devoting their full attention to the king and the tale of woe he had to tell. In deep detail, Mickey explained to them that Aqua had spent the past twelve years wandering the dark world alone, lost adrift the shadows in a place where time stood still and where the Heartless called their home. Bereft of her friends, Ventus and Terra, to stand by her side to support her and strengthen her, the Keyblade Master nearly drifted further into the cold, empty, all-encompassing darkness, only for Mickey to arrive just in the nick of time to come to her aid. From there, the pair teamed up to find the realm's dark Keyblade, a weapon that, when paired with is light counterpart, held the power to seal the Door to Darkness and protect the worlds from the immense threat the Heartless posed. And in the end, they succeeded in that task, helping none other than Sora and Riku seal the dangerous door from both sides. Yet even so, this victory came at a heavy price. In order to protect Riku from a converging horde of Heartless, Aqua fearlessly threw herself directly in the line of fire, though at the cost of escaping from the darkness she had been imprisoned in for over a decade. And in that darkness she remained, alone and unknown even still, without any hope of returning to the light on her own accord.

After the king had finished telling his story in full, a solemn sort of silence filled the room as they all reflected on Aqua's grim fate, a fate so undeserved for a Master so noble and so brave. By all accounts, it was a fate she was still suffering from, for as far as any of them knew, she would likely remain wandering in the vast, lonely shadows, lest a helping hand from the light finally reached out to her aid to bring her back home where she belonged. And, the more Riku thought about everything he had just heard, the more he realized, perhaps more than anyone else, that helping hand was more than a long time coming.

"She sacrificed herself… to save me?" he asked, his voice soft at first before he quickly turned towards Mickey in sudden frustration. "Why did you keep it from me for so long? All this time, she's been trapped in the darkness, and the only one who knew about it was you?! How is that fair?!"

The king sighed remorsefully, shaking his head. "I had to respect her choice."

"What about _us_?!" Riku countered hotly. "You could've given us a choice! We could have gone and helped her!"

"…I know…" Mickey admitted, genuine shame in his tone for letting his friend languish in the darkness for so very long. In truth, there had been many times when the king had wanted to venture back into the Realm of Darkness in a further attempt to rescue Aqua, but each time he had refrained out of fear, caution, or some other distraction pulling his attention away. And while he certainly understood Riku's righteous anger, he was hard pressed to come up with a viable excuse in order to quell that anger himself. Fortunately though, Yen Sid decided to step in to do that for him.

"Do not be rash, Riku," the sorcerer advised authoritatively. "As Mickey clearly told you in his story, reaching the Realm of Darkness the first time was not a simple task. And even if we had found a way back in, regrettably, none of us possessed the necessary means to get Aqua back out safely. So I forbade Mickey from telling you, let alone going after her."

"But why keep it secret?" Riku asked, still clearly upset.

"That much is obvious," Yen Sid said simply. "If not you, then certainly Sora would have staged a reckless attempt at a rescue."

Upon hearing this, Riku finally settled somewhat, knowing that there was certainly a good deal of truth in that statement. After all, he wasn't fond of the idea of owing a debt to anyone, but the fact that he essentially owed his life to someone he couldn't even return the favor to was more than enough to set him on edge to the point of compelling him to do something about it. As for Sora, well, to say that he always, _always_ went out of his way to help just about anyone he met, even if it was at his own expense or the cost of his own safety or wellbeing, was an understatement. As much as Riku didn't really want to admit it, the sorcerer had them both pegged exactly right; for in their shared sense of justice, there's no doubt at least one of them would have tried to save Aqua from the darkness, only to likely end up trapped there themselves as a result.

"But now," Mickey spoke up with a sense of renewed verve. "We can help Aqua! You and I," he said, resolved as he turned to Riku. "We're gonna go find her!"

"Yeah!" Riku exclaimed without a second thought, more than ready to finally set things right. As far as he was concerned, Aqua had suffered in the darkness, a place that he was all too familiar with, long enough; it was finally time to help her return to the light. "Count me in!"

Despite the striking determination of the moment, Kairi couldn't help but cut in with a bit of a small, amused chuckle as she stepped forward. "Who's this new Riku and where is the old one?" she asked, offering Riku a bit of a wry grin.

"New me?" Riku raised an eyebrow, confused.

"Yeah," Kairi laughed again. "Right now, you sound more like Sora!"

"Should I be flattered?" Riku asked, catching on with a smirk. "I try too hard to be the role model all the time. Sometimes, its just more fun to listen to my heart. Which… is Sora-esque, I guess?"

"It sure is," Kairi retorted playfully. "But don't worry; we still like you." Riku stifled a laugh of his own at this, realizing just how much he had been missing Kairi's particular brand of good-natured teasing. He made a mental note to get back at her for it eventually, but for now, the mood of the room turned serious once again as Kairi approached the sorcerer's desk intentfully. "Master, I came here because I want to help somehow," she began sincerely. "What can I do?"

Yen Sid nodded, accepting her earnest proposal to join their cause, even despite the potential danger. "I have entrusted the wizard Merlin to oversee the training of our new Keyblade wielders: yourself and Lea."

"Lea?" Kairi frowned, unfamiliar with the name.

"He means Axel," Mickey pointed out promptly.

"_What_?!" Kairi gasped, instantly taken aback. The very moment the former assassin's name was brought up, memories of being dragged into the darkness and held captive in a cold and lonely cell against her will came rushing back to her like a sudden, very unwelcome flood. It was a time she didn't like remembering, knowing that the only good that had come of any of it was reuniting her with Sora and Riku by the end of it all. And it was all because of Axel, who had pried her away from the safety of the Destiny Islands and had plunged her into peril untold. The fact that he was even still around was baffling enough alone to Kairi, but the idea of working, of training alongside him was all but unthinkable, even as the king managed to explain.

"He's a regular person now," Mickey rationalized as encouragingly as he could. "He even saved Sora for us! You can trust him!"

Needless to say that Kairi wasn't convinced by that alone. Quickly, she glanced back at Riku, hoping that he'd offer her supportive solidarity or a way out of this or _something_, but all he did was nod in solid agreement with what the king had just told her. _Thanks a lot, Riku, _she thought with a small huff of frustration. _You're a BIG help… _A large part of her wanted to argue, to speak her piece and explain exactly why she had no intentions of training with her former kidnapper, and that they'd have to come up with some other way, _any _other way instead. She wanted to… and yet, as she took a moment to pause and take in the hopeful glances Mickey, Yen Sid, and Riku were all sending her way… she found that she simply couldn't. After all, everyone else had all gone through their fair share of unpleasant, unexpected experiences, Sora and Riku in particular, in their efforts to protect the worlds. What made her so better than all of them to think that she didn't have to bite the bullet and do what must be done as well?

"I… o-ok…" she agreed, her voice small and hesitant. Of course, there was much more she wanted to say on the matter than that, but she refrained, knowing that doing so would only make her seem immature and foolish. "Ok, I'll go."

"Great!" Riku said with a proud smile as he placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "And don't worry; you'll be just fine, Kairi. Knowing you, I have a feeling you'll be giving me and Sora a run for our munny in no time."

"You better believe I will!" Kairi shot back, though even her passion was somewhat halfhearted as her smile fell somewhat. "And… hey. Be careful out there in the Realm of Darkness. Ok? I… I almost lost both you and Sora there once. I don't know what I'd do if I lost either of you again."

"Like I said, don't worry," Riku said, still grinning as he pulled his hand away from her. "I'll be back before you know it. Now, Sora, on the other hand, _he's _the one you might have to keep an eye on."

The pair shared a warm, amused laugh at this, one that felt painfully too short as Mickey began to head out, beckoning Riku to join him. "C'mon, Riku! It's time for us to go. First we gotta find an entrance to the Realm of Darkness, and then-"

"Mickey," Yen Sid stopped the pair short before they could leave. "Take these with you." With a wave of his hand, the sorcerer conjured two large suitcases upon his desk. "The three good fairies asked that you be presented with them. They are new vestments that will shield you both from the darkness."

With dutiful bows, the pair retrieved the cases, thanking the sorcerer as they turned to take their final leave and head out on their mission. Kairi lingered back to hear whatever further instructions Yen Sid had to impart her with, but even so, she couldn't help but watch both wistfully and worriedly as Riku and Mickey left. She listened carefully to what the sorcerer had to tell her about her next destination from there, but all the while, she couldn't help but let her thoughts wander. She had made her decision clear, even despite how she felt about it, but even so she still wondered if the decision that everyone expected her to make had really been the right one to make after all…

* * *

Mickey and Riku hadn't been able to leave the Mysterious Tower without passing by Goofy and Donald on their way out, and needless to say that when the pair revealed where they were going, the captain and the magician saw them off with an aptly emotional farewell. Their overwhelmingly concerned wishes for both their king and the newly-named Master to return from the Realm of Darkness safely had been copious and by the time they had finally been able to slip away from the pair to properly leave, it felt as though hours had passed. Yet even so, time seemed to crawl by the slowest for Donald and Goofy themselves after Riku and Mickey departed, leaving them to continue their surprisingly lengthy wait for Sora to return once more.

"Sora's late," Goofy noted as they both dully reclined on the tower's steps. "Do ya think he's ok?"

"He better be, if he knows what's good for him…" Donald grumbled, though the worry in his tone was clear. It was a worry that was equally shared between the pair, and with good reason; after all, they had only barely just gotten Sora back from a horrible fate that nearly hadn't been able to save him from. And yet, even despite that, he had brazenly decided to go off on his own on some unknown mystery errand, without bothering to explain so much as a single detail as to what that errand might have been. And with Xehanort and his other darknesses still out there on the prowl, needless to say they had very steady grounds to be as concerned as they were, if not then some.

Goofy frowned slightly as he heard Donald let out a loud, plaintiff sigh, and as a result, he decided to turn the conversation away from their currently absent companion, at least for the time being. "Gawrsh, Lea sure went back to Radiant Garden in a hurry," the captain mused thoughtfully. "And now Riku and the king are headin' off to the Realm of Darkness on their big mission to save Aqua!" Goofy paused as Donald cut in with yet another fretful sigh, one that was likely spared for the aforementioned duo, prompting the captain to divert the conversation once more. "Ya think _we'll _ever get to do something important anytime soon?"

"What are you guys talking about? You two do important stuff _all _the time!"

Upon hearing this, Donald and Goofy both immediately bolted upright with a simultaneous gasp of surprise mingled with an immediate sense of relief the moment they spotted Sora casually walking across the grassy yard to greet them. However, before he could even get so much as another word out, the pair suddenly pounced upon him, more or less tackling him to the ground in a tight, protective hug.

"H-hey! C'mon, you guys! Cut it out!" Sora exclaimed with a laugh as he struggled to escape from their hold. "You're acting like I was gone for _years _or something!"

"You might as well have been!" Donald snapped as the hug disbanded and the trio picked themselves up off the ground. "You're _hours_ late!"

"Hours?" Sora repeated before shrugging easily. "Whoops, sorry! Guess I must have lost track of the time."

"Boy, I'll say," Goofy noted curiously as they began to make their way over to the tower. "You were gone an awfully long time. What were ya doin'?"

The Keybearer paused as he reached the tower doors, his back turned to his companions as his smile briefly faded into a look of slight confusion, almost as if he couldn't quite remember where he had gone or what he had done himself. Even so, he was quick to shake said confusion off, rebuffing it with a coy chuckle as he glanced back at Donald and Goofy playfully. "That's a secret," he said with something of a mischievous wink, one that obviously didn't answer either of the pairs' many questions.

With that, Sora threw the tower's main door open so they could head up to meet with Yen Sid to receive instruction on what to do next; however, before he could so much as even take a step inside the tower, he was met with perhaps the last person he could have ever expected to see there. "K-Kairi?!" he exclaimed, absolutely caught off guard.

"Sora!" Kairi gasped, her formerly apprehensive expression lighting up with a bright, elated smile. Without a single beat of hesitation, she threw her arms around him in a sudden embrace, one that Sora readily returned just as thoughtlessly as the pair shared a warm, delighted laugh over their unexpected reunion.

"I can't believe you're here, Kairi!" Sora said, still laughing as they parted a moment later. "Wait… what _are _you doing here in the first place? How'd you even get here? Oh! Hold on! Does Riku know you're here? Where is he? Are you-"

"Whoa, whoa, slow down, Sora!" Kairi chuckled, amused. "Can I have a chance to answer at least _one _of those questions?"

"O-oh, right…" Sora rubbed the back of his neck, flustered. "Sorry."

"Well, if you really wanna know, Riku was actually the one who brought me here," Kairi began, her hands held behind her back. The pair stepped away from the door a bit, and though Goofy moved to follow them, Donald was quick to pull him back towards the tower in order to give them a moment of needed privacy. "You're _never_ going to believe this, Sora," Kairi continued with a huge smile as she took both his hands into hers.

"Oh yeah?" Sora raised a curious eyebrow as he tried his best to avoid looking down at their joined hands, lest the welcome warmth already building in his cheeks finally show itself physically. "Try me."

"I'm going to learn how to use my Keyblade so I can fight alongside you and Riku!" Kairi exclaimed brightly, bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet a bit. "Isn't that exciting?" Oddly enough, however upon hearing this, Sora's smile finally faded, clear concern replacing it instead, much to Kairi's confusion. "…Sora?"

"Uh… t-that… that's great, Kairi, it really is," Sora said, his tone sincere yet strained for some reason as he gave her hands the slightest squeeze. "A-and I really am happy and excited for you, but… it's just… being a Keyblade wielder and all can get… kinda dangerous, in case you haven't noticed, especially with guys like Xehanort and Organization XIII on the loose. I…" he trailed off, letting out a bit of a sigh as he offered her a small, somewhat sad smile. "I just don't want you to get hurt."

Though Kairi had half a mind to react harshly to this, she found she was unable to as she meet his solemn, yet sweet expression. "Oh, Sora…" she sighed, returning his smile softly. "I appreciate your concern, but… that's exactly why I'm going to train! R-Riku told me about what nearly happened to you during your exam…" She stopped for a moment, glancing down fretfully at the frightening thought of what almost was. "If… if you… if Xehanort really had taken over your heart… I would have felt so… _awful _knowing that there wouldn't have been _anything _I could have done to save you. So that's why I want to, why I _need _to do this. So I can get stronger and protect you, just like you've always been there to protect me."

Sora hesitated, still clearly apprehensive about the idea, especially as he heard the motivation behind it. As far as he was concerned, _nobody _should have ever had to put their life on the line to save his, the least of which Kairi, of all people. If anything, the idea of him losing his own heart was far less painful than the thought of losing her in any way shape or form. And though some small part of him wanted to actually tell her that so he could make her understand exactly why he wanted to keep her out of this conflict, he found himself unable to as he met her expectant, hopeful expression once more. "Ok," Sora nodded with resigned acceptance. "If this is what you feel like you need to do, Kairi, then… then I won't stop you. Though, I _am _wondering how you're gonna do this whole 'training' thing in the first place. I mean, nobody trained me or Riku how to use our Keyblades; we were just sort of thrown into the whole thing headfirst and went from there, I guess."

"Well, not all of us can have _that _privilege," Kairi said, her tone turning playful once more as they finally let go of each others' hands. "I'm actually heading over to Radiant Gardens to train under Merlin the wizard. He's supposed to be teaching me and-" She sighed, clearly disgruntled as she finished. "And _Axel_."

"Oh?" Sora asked, though from Kairi's sour expression alone he was able to glean exactly why she didn't seem too fond of the idea. "_Ohhhh_… Oh, man, that's… Kairi, are you sure you're ok with that?"

"What?" Kairi blinked, surprised by such a question.

"Are you ok with going to train with Axel—I mean, _Lea_?" Sora reiterated somewhat awkwardly. "I mean, he did sort of… you know…"

"…Kidnap me?" Kairi finished, raising an eyebrow. Sora nodded and for a moment, the most Kairi could do was stare at him, dumbfounded to say the least. He was really the first person to actually ask about how _she _felt when it came to training alongside Axel, instead of simply assuming that she would go to do it regardless of her feelings out of a mere sense of duty alone. It was such a small thing, really, she couldn't deny that she was genuinely touched by the thought and concern he was focusing entirely on her alone. And though she didn't quite know how to explain it, she felt as though that concern somehow gave her just enough strength to carry on, even despite her still-persistent doubts and misgivings about the situation as a whole. "I… I know," she admitted, rubbing her arm. "B-but its ok! I'll… learn to deal with it."

"Kairi, you don't _have _to train with him, you know," Sora countered with a worried frown. "Yeah, I know he's on our side now and everything, but if being around him again is gonna make you uncomfortable, then we can always figure something else out. Maybe… hm…" he paused, trying to think of an alternative plan before snapping his fingers with an excited smile. "I got it! We can go back upstairs and we can try to convince Master Yen Sid to let you train with me, Donald, and Goofy instead! What do you think?"

Despite Sora's enthusiasm with this idea, Kairi was unable to hold back a knee-jerk laugh over it. "Well, as fun as that sounds, Sora, I… really think I'd just get in your way. Besides, I should _probably_ learn from an expert. No offense."

"I _am _an expert!" Sora proclaimed pointedly.

"No, you're not!" Donald shouted all the way over from the tower, clearly flustering Sora even more.

"Hey!" he snapped, sending an insincere glare over to his chuckling pair of companions. By this point, Kairi had all but succumbed to her laughter entirely, though the levity was soon interrupted by the appearance of a portal of light materializing just a few feet away.

"Well… I guess that's my ride," Kairi inferred, taking in a deep breath as she turned to face the portal, though not before sending Sora a bright smile of farewell. "Wish me luck?"

Sora shook his head, grinning. "You don't need it. I have a feeling you'll do a great job all on your own."

"Here's hoping," Kairi said with a bit of a diffident smile. "I guess I should be wishing _you_ luck on whatever's next for you instead, then?"

"I don't need that either," Sora said, reaching into his pocket to pull out a familiar charm that was still quite special to them both. "I've already got it."

"Y-you _still _have it…" she whispered, unable to suppress her joyful grin as she raced to hug him one last time, if only to share a quiet, private farewell with him. "I'll miss you. Stay safe."

"You too," he returned just as softly as they slowly began to part ways, though neither of them really wanted to. "See you soon, ok?"

"Yeah," she nodded, hopeful that their eventual reunion wouldn't be too far off as she headed into the light and whatever awaited her beyond it. "See you soon."

And with that, she was gone, though even still, he lingered to watch until the very last glimmer of light she had vanished into disappeared, her charm still resting in his hand and her words still ringing in his heart: _"So that's why I want to, why I _need_ to do this. So I can get stronger and protect you, just like you've always been there to protect me."_

"I'll _keep on _protecting you, Kairi," he whispered to both himself and to her as he gripped her charm just a bit tighter, just a bit closer to his heart. "No matter what happens. I promise."

"Sora!" Goofy's call from the tower door was easily enough to break him out of his thoughts and back into the present. "Are ya comin'?"

"We shouldn't keep Master Yen Sid waiting!" Donald warned, tapping his foot impatiently.

"Coming!" Sora shouted back, carefully slipping the charm back into his pocket as he ran over to join the pair.

"Boy, he sure does got it real bad for her, doesn't he?" Goofy muttered to Donald with a small chuckle while Sora was still out of earshot.

"Tell me about it," the magician remarked, rolling his eyes knowingly.

"Tell you about what?" Sora asked, oblivious as he reached the pair.

"Nothing!" they both exclaimed in innocent unison as they led the way inside the tower. Sora eyed his companions suspiciously for a beat, but he didn't press them any further as the trio hurried up the stairs to receive their next assignment from Yen Sid, whatever it might be.

"We're back!" Sora announced brightly as the trio burst into the sorcerer's chamber. However, while he had hoped to surprise Riku in particular with his sudden return, the Keybearer was the one who ended up being both surprised and rather disappointed to find that the newly-named Master was nowhere to be found. "Huh?" Sora frowned, glancing around for any signs of Riku or the king for that matter. "Just us?"

"The others all had important work to do," Yen Sid informed simply. "So I sent them on their way."

"Aw, that's great," Sora huffed, crossing his arms. "They could have at least said good-bye."

"Well, Donald and I still got to see them off," Goofy pointed out.

"Yeah! Its _your _fault you missed them!" Donald accused pointedly.

"It is not," Sora countered. "I just like to say good-bye to all my friends."

"Then do it _faster_!"

"Hey! I'm here _now_, right?"

"Yeah, and ya did get a chance to say good-bye to Kairi," Goofy interjected in an attempt to make peace before their usual bickering could get out of hand.

"Yeah, see?" Sora sent Donald a smug, triumphant grin. "That means I wasn't _that _late."

As incensed as he was, the magician was more than prepared to keep the argument going, though Yen Sid was quick to cut in just in time. "We have important matters to discuss," the sorcerer reminded, prompting the trio to quickly snap into attention. "The first is information that Master Xehanort no doubt already has at his disposal, and as a result, it is essential that you arm yourselves with this knowledge as well. There is a prophecy, as old as time itself, that speaks of thirteen special Keyblades, each of them hidden far and wide across the worlds. It is said that whoever possesses all thirteen will be granted the power to rule over none other than the one, true Kingdom Hearts itself."

"_What_?!" Sora, Donald, and Goofy all gasped in shocked unison upon hearing such an alarming prophecy. After all, their past experiences with Kingdom Hearts had repeatedly shown that it was a dangerous force, an immense power that needed to be shuttered and kept safe from falling into the wrong hands. But to hear that the only thing standing between someone like Xehanort and all the power of Kingdom Hearts was a mere set of lost Keyblades was quite disconcerting indeed.

"I am almost certain that, aside from filling out his own ranks, Xehanort's current intentions are to gather these thirteen Keys to the Kingdom so that he may claim Kingdom Hearts as his own," Yen Sid continued solemnly. "It is for that reason that we must-"

"That you want us to go out there and find those Keys before Xehanort can, right?" Sora interrupted boldly, already resolved to do just that, especially if it was for the sake of protecting the worlds from darkness once again. "Well, don't worry! Consider us on the ca-"

"No," Yen Sid cut him off sternly, eliciting equal confusion amongst the trio.

"What?" Sora frowned, wondering what could possibly be more important of a task for them than keeping Kingdom Hearts out of Xehanort's reach. "But… why not?"

"Securing the Keys to the Kingdom away from Xehanort and the new Organization XIII is indeed a paramount task that must be undertaken to forestall the end of all worlds," Yen Sid mused. "However, it is not a task for _you _to undertake, Sora, at least not yet."

"Um… then what _am _I supposed to do?" Sora asked, more or less completely lost by this point.

"In order to defeat Xehanort, there are allies that we must gather, acting now to rouse them from their slumber," the sorcerer continued on a seemingly unrelated tangent altogether. "We have discussed this before. Your Mark of Mastery exam was conducted in the hopes that you would acquire the power to wake them. However, the darkness nearly took control of you, and your grasp of your new abilities leaves much to be desired. Furthermore, Xehanort nearly made you his vessel, and in the process, stripped you of most of the power you had gained by then. I suspect you have already noticed this, correct?"

Indeed, Sora had noticed. In fact, ever since he had awakened after the exam, he had felt somewhat… off somehow, even if he didn't know exactly how to explain it. At first, he had thought that strange, almost dulling feeling would fade over time, but it _hadn't_. Even still he felt… unbalanced; his Keyblade seemed to lack its usual radiant pallor whenever he summoned it, and though he hadn't recently had much of a need to really use any sort of magic, he could tell that his capacity to do so seemed oddly restrained and diminished for some reason. In truth, it wasn't something he had really put much thought into until now, but as he did, it certainly was quite sobering to say the least. To think that such a small twist of fate, a sinister trap he had been unfortunate and admittedly foolish enough to fall into, could rip so much away from him was more than enough to bring the Keybearer ample amounts of shame.

But even then, he would have no idea just how much Xehanort's sinister scheme had stolen from him until it was far too late.

All the same, the moment Sora noticed Donald and Goofy both equally fretting over his apparent dejection over this fact, he was quick to perk up once again. After all, there really was no need to worry either of his loyal companions with something that he was sure that, with a little time and effort, he was bound to bounce back from sooner or later. "Whatever!" he exclaimed with a flippant, reassuring grin, paying no mind to the baffled looks Donald and Goofy sent his way. "Happens all the time!"

"…Yes," Yen Sid nodded, though it seemed as though even he wasn't entirely convinced. "Chip and Dale are currently analyzing data that Ansem the Wise provided to Riku which could offer us a clue to retrieving the hearts of our lost friends. I have very high hopes for this data, however, our greatest chance of stopping Xehanort's plan lies in two places: in locating the thirteen Keys to the Kingdom… and with you, Sora. If you trust the guidance your heart gives, I know we will find all of the guardians of light as well as the Keys. But first, you must regain all the strength you have lost. Perhaps it is foolish to expect a full recovery, but it is absolutely vital that you perfect one power—the power of waking, which you failed to master during your exam. There's someone who lost his strength and found it again, a true hero to whom you ought to pay a visit."

Upon hearing this, Sora couldn't hold back an excited gasp, already catching onto who the sorcerer was speaking of based on his familiar tale alone. Donald and Goofy also joined in on the realization, and watched in apt amusement as Sora dramatically posed in an effort to emulate the aforementioned hero. "Perhaps he can point you in the right direction," Yen Sid finished, capping off all the wisdom he had to offer the trio.

"Got it!" Sora saluted firmly, more than ready to venture out on such a noble task.

"Master Yen Sid," Goofy spoke up as both him and Donald stepped forward. "You can count on us to take care of Sora!"

"I would have it no other way," the sorcerer allotted with a small smile. "I put Sora in your hands."

As if he wasn't already enthused enough about the adventure to come, Sora became even moreso upon hearing that his loyal companions would be coming along for the ride once again. "Donald! Goofy!" he exclaimed with a laugh as he pulled the pair into a found hug. "Looks like the three of us are finally back in action again, huh?

"Hmph! Only because you can't become a master without us!" Donald remarked, his tone pointedly playful.

"…Huh?"

"I never woulda thought you'd have failed that exam, Sora," Goofy added, albeit a bit more good-naturedly.

"Hey!" Sora huffed as he pulled out of their embrace, somewhat frustrated by their sardonic remarks.

"Face it," Donald continued wryly. "You're just a half-pint!"

"_But_," Goofy interjected with a wide smile. "The three of us together make a _whole _pint!"

"Pint and a _half_," Sora corrected, hands on his hips.

"And don't forget," Donald reiterated, now grinning himself as he laid a hand out flat before him. "We'll keep an eye on you."

"Oh, this is gonna be lots of fun!" Goofy exclaimed cheerfully, putting his hand down on top of Donald's.

"It's not a vacation!" Sora pointed out, before ultimately breaking out into a bright smile and joining his hand onto the pile. After all, despite everything that had happened and whatever they might possibly face, it was good to know that through it all, he'd have two of his closest friends on his side through it all once more. "Let's go!"

* * *

The Gummi Ship sailed through the space between worlds at a steady pace, despite the fact that it really didn't have any set destination or course plotted out. Inside of its cockpit, Donald and Goofy both looked to Sora expectantly, as they had been ever since they departed the Mysterious Tower to venture out and follow Yen Sid's advice. While the captain waited calmly for whatever their young companion decided to do next, the magician was a bit more impatient, especially since it seemed as though Sora had more or less solely been lost in his own inconclusive thoughts for the past several minutes alone.

"Well?" Donald asked, sending the Keybearer a skeptical glance. "Are we going or not?"

"Uh… well, we _would_…" Sora began hesitantly before muttering off his next statement. "If I knew how to get us there now…"

"What?!" the magician exclaimed hotly. "I thought you _did _know!"

"Looks like all the old highways are closed," Goofy pointed out, referring to the paths they had previously taken to traverse the worlds, all of which seemed to be all but gone now. "But didn't Master Yen Sid say that Sora should just trust the guidance his heart gives?"

"Yeah! C'mon, Sora!" Donald urged. "Which way?" The Keybearer didn't answer right away as he leaned back in his seat, his brow furrowed in thought as he tried to puzzle out a solution to their problem, as implausible as one seemed. Which of course, only set the already perturbed magician off more than he already was. "Hey! Would you get serious?"

"Give me a break!" Sora countered with an exasperated sigh. "These things take time!"

"Well, since we've been there before, why don't you try picturing our friends like we're there?" Goofy suggested earnestly.

"Hm…" Sora said to himself as he stood in an attempt to do just that. However, as good of an idea as it seemed to be, even thinking of their familiar friends still wasn't enough to open up the gateway they needed to proceed.

"Well?" Donald cut in, essentially interrupting the Keybearer's train of thought.

"Sorry! I got nothing," Sora admitted as he started to get just as frustrated by the standstill as the magician was. "What did you expect?"

A bout of disappointed silence fell over the trio at this, none of them really having the faintest idea of what to do to so much as even get them to where they needed to go, despite their best efforts. And yet, through this silence, Goofy suddenly spoke up to break it, thoughtfully muttering something that seemed to come to him almost out of nowhere.

"…'May your heart be your guiding key'…" the captain said, catching the attention of his companions.

"Huh?" Sora frowned, confused. "What's that?"

"Master Yen Sid always said that right before we went off on any of our real important adventures," Goofy explained with a bit of a grin.

"Really?" Sora asked, unfamiliar with the phrase. "Ring a bell?" he turned to Donald, only for the magician to shake his head, just as baffled.

"Hm, maybe I just imagined it…" Goofy wondered, scratching his head. Yet even so, the mysterious saying stood, to the point that Sora couldn't help but repeat it as he thought on exactly what it could mean.

"May my heart be my guiding key…" he said quietly, connecting it back to the advice Yen Sid had just offered him moments ago. Perhaps opening the way wasn't a matter of simply thinking about where they needed to go; perhaps, what would truly guide them was something else altogether: the heart.

On this sudden, newfound burst of inspiration, Sora gasped, a brazen smile lighting up his expression as he rushed to the helm of the Gummi Ship once more. "I've got it!" he proclaimed, not even hesitating to summon the Kingdom Key and point it forward into the seemingly empty void of space ahead. A warm glow began to form around the tip of the Keyblade, and from that glow appeared a swirling, familiar portal to another world altogether.

"It's a gate!" Goofy exclaimed as both him and Donald sent their young companion matching proud grins. "Sora, you did it!"

"Yeah," Sora nodded daringly as he took a seat, more than ready to steer them forward into the bold, new adventure that awaited them next, whatever it might be. "All right. Olympus Coliseum, here we come!"

* * *

**AN-Yeah! Olympus Coliseum! Except we're not going there next time around cause we're gonna take a step to the _other _side of things and see what our baddies for the story are up to... ahaha fun! Anyway, its super late as I'm posting this and I gotta get to bed. Don't forget to follow/favorite/and REVIEW to let me know what you think (and thanks to everyone who already has reviewed, you all are super sweet ^_^) Until next time! **


	4. Chapter 3: To Seek the Darkness

_AN-Dang, I'm really on a roll with this, aren't I? Four chapters in just a little over a week, that's gotta be a new record for me or something! Either way, this chapter was way more fun to work on than I thought, mostly since it focuses on our main baddies! So yeah, Organization shenanigans and whatnot, foreshadowing, plot buildup, all that good stuff. So yeah, I won't keep you from it then! Enjoy!_

* * *

_Chapter 3: To Seek the Darkness_

_And people who say things they don't really mean, really mean?_

In the wake of the supposed defeat and destruction of the original Organization XIII, the group's former base of operations had been left abandoned. For almost an entire year, the World that Never Was and the grand castle at its heart lay completely empty and silent, bereft of even the Heartless and Nobodies that were known to naturally spawn there. But with the rise of a new Organization with a new purpose, the shadow-steeped world's usefulness began anew as well. And once again, the members of the Organization gathered at their former headquarters, waiting in the wings for whatever it is their leader required of them next.

In their current idle time, two such members traversed the unchanged gray corridors of the castle, remembering their winding twists and turns well even after their relatively recent respective revivals. The pair carried on a rather casual conversation, though even despite that, their tones were hushed, lest any unwanted prying eyes or ears be on the prowl. Something that was a very high likelihood, considering the various familiar faces that had returned to fill out the ranks of the new Organization XIII.

"So, why are you back?" Marluxia asked plainly, only barely casting a glance at the member keeping pace alongside him.

"Hmph, nice way to greet your old partner in crime," Larxene scoffed, though she was still smirking all the same. Her tone was enough to elicit a similar sardonic grin from the graceful assassin, though it was quick to fade as his companion continued. "So, why do _you _think the old geezer took us back?" she asked, genuinely curious. "He must know we backstabbed the Organization back when Xemnas was running it."

Marluxia shook his head. "Xehanort doesn't care about you or me," he said evenly. "To him, we're nothing but empty husks. The old Organization was no different. Xehanort needs thirteen vessels to hold his essence."

"Husks?" Larxene repeated, clearly not fond of the idea. "Not me. You _know _you and me are _way _above being just paws in someone else's game. So instead…" the savage nymph's grin deepened with a clearly sinister idea as she positioned herself just a bit closer to Marluxia. "Why don't we just stage another coup instead?"

The graceful assassin sighed almost tiredly as he offered her a disapproving glance. "Larxene…"

"Oh, come on!" Larxene pouted with playful pleading. "It'd be fun. And it might actually work out this time without a dirty double-crosser like Axel around to throw a wrench into our plans. So… what do you say?" At first, Marluxia offered her no reply as he instead continued on his way, even with the savage nymph trailing right behind him, still seeking an answer. "Well?" she pressed impatiently. Finally, the graceful assassin stopped and turned to face her, his expression unreadable even as he prepared to speak and, at least as far as Larxene was concerned, give her the answer she hoped to hear. And yet, before he could, their conversation was unexpectedly interrupted by another member who just so happened to round the corner at that very moment.

"Oh please," Demyx scoffed, clutching his sitar as he joined the pair. "You guys couldn't do it last time, what makes you think you could pull that whole 'coup' thing off now?" The melodious nocturne grinned as he strummed a few notes on his instrument. "You gotta play it smart, like me."

"What?" Larxene shot back crossly. "You're _not _smart! In fact, you're just about the dumbest person in the Organization, but old and new!"

Demyx shrugged, seemingly unoffended. "Well, you heard what Marly said. I don't have to be smart."

"Or capable, or likeable, _or _attractive," Larxene listed off, her hands on her hips. "A _cereal bowl_ would make a better vessel!"

"Whoa, now you're _way _out of line," Demyx countered. "I am _extremely _imposing… When I want to be. Which is, admittedly, almost never."

"Well, that's one thing you got right," the savage nymph huffed coldly. "Looks like the old man is getting desperate if he'd take someone like _you _back into the Organization. Probably only 'cause his plan to get the _true _prize he'd had his eye on backfired on him."

"Huh?" Demyx frowned, confused. "What prize?"

"Ugh, _seriously_?" Larxene exclaimed in appalled disbelief. "You _can't _be that stupid. But then again, since this is _you _we're talking about here, maybe you _can _be."

"You and a few of the others who were only just brought back are too late to have known," Marluxia interjected much more calmly. "But she's talking about Sora."

"Whaaaaa?!" Demyx exclaimed, genuinely surprised to hear this. However, before he could ask any of his many newfound questions, a corridor of darkness suddenly materialized, allowing a fourth member to join in on the engaging conversation.

"Ah, so the whispers I've heard among the higher rungs are indeed true then…" Luxord mused with a knowing grin as he offered the others a small nod of greeting.

"_You're_ in again too?" Larxene spoke up before the gambler of fate could continue. "What is this, Organization Rehash?"

"I happen to play an important role, even despite my rather recent revival," Luxord assured. "Unlike some… _others, _perhaps."

"So you were listening this whole time?" Demyx asked as he strummed a low note on his sitar. "So not cool."

The gambler of fate chuckled. "One must hold one's cards as long as necessary," he said, conjuring up a deck in his hand to playfully flip about. "Even so, the context you just provided me with… certainly does shuffle the deck in an interesting way. Now I believe I finally understand what I overheard from Xemnas when he said we haven't lost our proposed thirteen vessel _just _yet…"

The three younger members exchanged a rather baffled glance at this before they looked back to Luxord once more, overwhelmed with curiosity to hear more about what he'd gleaned from the Organizations' leaders. "What are you talking about?" Larxene asked, eyeing him suspiciously.

"Either we all heard what happened by now," Marluxia added, the slightest hint of confusion in his otherwise usually collected tone. "Or we were all there to see it for ourselves. Xehanort's attempt at forcing Sora to join our ranks were halted by none other than Axel. His plan, however complex and intricate as it might have been, was a failure."

"Ah, or so it might have seemed at the time," Luxord retorted, holding up a lone card as he flipped it over to show the rest. "But a single wild card is all it takes to turn an otherwise unsavory hand…" His smile widened as several more matching cards appeared in his hand to create a perfect full house. "Into a full set."

"Wait, I'm still confused," Demyx interjected.

"Why is _that _not surprising?" Larxene muttered, rolling her eyes.

The melodious nocturne ignored her, though even still he sent her a small glare before he spoke his piece. "So did this whole plan that Xehanort had for Sora that Marluxia was just talking about work out? Or… not?"

"That is of no concern to any of you right now." The other four members swiftly spun around to find none other than Saïx approaching them, his expression as aloof and stoic as ever as he came to stand before the group.

"Ugh, _Saïx_," Larxene groaned disdainfully. "Figures that _you'd _join up again. What, are you here to tell us to get back to doing our jobs or something?"

"Precisely," the luna diviner replied without missing a beat as he passed through the group. "If the four of you are done wasting your time on aimless gossip, then there are much more important matters to attend to. Master Xehanort has requested that all of us gather in the Round Room to receive our next assignment."

"Y-you mean… Xehanort's still here?" Demyx asked apprehensively, gripping his sitar a bit tighter at the mention of the master's name.

"I thought the old coot left after his plan to 'recruit' the Keybrat _supposedly _fell through," Larxene added, crossing her arms.

"The master still has business in this world," Saïx explained, glancing over his shoulder at the group. "And so long as he does, then it is his intention to remain here to see that business carried out. Considering what his intentions are, you would all be wise to listen well to what he has to say."

Without another word, Saïx disappeared into a dark corridor himself, likely heading off to the very meeting he had just told the group still gathered in the hall about. A bout of silence passed between them as they exchange a dubious glance, none of them quite sure what the master's specific "intentions" were to begin with. In fact, the only thing they really knew was that the sole reason any of them had been brought back into existence was to aid in exacting those mysterious ambitions, whatever they might end up being.

"It seems as though another game is about to begin," Luxord spoke up first, summoning a dark portal as he took his leave. "We might as well go learn what the rules are this time, hm?"

"Or better yet, learn how to bend those rules to our advantage," Marluxia remarked, offering Larxene a small, knowing grin as he left in a similar manner.

"So… I guess everything's same old, same old, then?" Demyx asked the savage nymph with an irresolute shrug.

"Oh, shut up already," Larxene hissed as she also took her leave, leaving the melodious nocturne behind to do the same.

"H-hey! Wait up!" Demyx exclaimed, quickly summoning a corridor of darkness for himself. And with that, the entire group was gone, off to join the rest of their number and learn whatever it was their master had in store for them all.

* * *

Perched upon the highest, most paramount chair of the Round Room, Master Xehanort sat, watching coolly and quietly as the various members teleported in to take their respective seats. Each one of them bore a fragment of his own heart and his essence, of that much he had personally made certain, even among the members that weren't already some sort of extension of himself. Even so, the elderly master had brought each of these figures back into existence for a reason, a purpose that would not only ensure the clash of light and darkness that he had been seeking for countless years now. But also, a purpose that would also deliver the ultimate prize that awaited on the other side of that clash into his hands once and for all.

One by one, the spotless thrones were filled, some of the members faces' concealed by their pitch black hoods, others not. None of them spoke to each other out of either respect or fear for their master's presence, but a few of them did exchange brief, fruitive nods of greeting here and there. By the time all of the members had arrived, all but one of the seats had been filled, the lone empty one being the shortest throne sitting directly across from Xehanort himself. The elderly master's already steady grin deepened as he kept his sights on that empty throne, knowing that it would be filled soon enough. But as the master had already figured out, that would have to wait; in the meantime, he had another initiative to get off the ground instead.

"Greetings, my Seekers of Darkness," Xehanort began, garnishing the attention of the entire group from his elevated throne. "It is fortunate that we have all managed to congregate here again so soon. Listen well, all of you, for there is much that we must discuss." The master paused, almost as if to make sure every single member present was doing just that before he continued. "Firstly, let it be known that the clash of light and darkness that we ever strive towards is soon at hand. Already, the guardians of light are scrambling, rushing themselves to gather allies to their side, no matter how weak and unexperienced those allies might be. They are well aware that our own ranks are nearly completed, and indeed, we are close. There is but only one final vessel we must obtain, but fret not; that vessel is already starting to make the slow but certain fall into our hands. Our missing darkness will belong to us before they even know it."

"Oh really?" Xigbar spoke up almost knowingly from his own seat. "And just who might this so-called 'missing darkness' be, huh?" Likewise, upon hearing mention of this apparently unknown thirteenth vessel, Larxene, Marluxia, Demyx, and Luxord all focused on Xehanort with the same sort of scrutiny, each of them curious to know if the rumors they had shared amongst each other could actually bear some weight after all.

But the elderly master simply smirked at this, shaking his head as if to bar the more eager members of his Organization from knowing. "The answer to that will be revealed in due time," he said mysteriously, sending side glances over at his younger self, Xemnas, and Ansem in particular. The trio said nothing but nodded, almost as if they were communicating something to the master, even if no one else was in on the tip. "But rest assured that we will indeed have all thirteen members on our side, perhaps even a few in reserve, just in case any of you fall short of my expectations…" A handful of the members seemed to feel the almost palpable chill in Xehanort's tone as he said this, his smile finally gone as he glanced over each of them piercingly. "Which is something that each of you should pray _does not _happen… I've given almost each of you a second chance at existence. Use it well and do _not _disappoint me…"

If any of the lower-ranking members of the new Organization had any sort of doubts about the kind of stern authority their master wielded, those doubts were soon laid to rest the moment he summoned his Keyblade to his side as a show of exactly that. The fierce, dark weapon radiated immense power, power that some of them feared while others among them craved it. There was no question that it demanded respect, and it was clear that respect was what Xehanort demanded of each of them. And for the most part, that respect was what _most _of the members decided, for varying purposes and reasons, that they were going to pay him. For now at least.

"Each of you," Xehanort continued, holding his Keyblade out level. "Take a look at this Keyblade. This weapon, and every other one like it in existence, are mere replicas, rendered after the most powerful key in existence, the one true X-Blade! It is a blade that I brazenly, foolishly even, tried to get my hands on years ago, all without realizing that it is merely a single key needed among several others to unlock the ultimate power that lies behind the essence of all worlds: Kingdom Hearts!"

A few soft, muted gasps rose up from some of the younger members who weren't previously privy to the master's plan, though in hindsight it did add up. Kingdom Hearts had always been the ultimate goal of the old Organization; it only made sense that the newest iteration of the group would be working towards its untold power as well. Which was why all ears were still on Xehanort's bold words as he continued with the intent of detailing exactly how they were going to do just that.

"As mighty as the X-Blade itself is, it alone is not enough to bestow control of the heart of all worlds onto any one individual," the master explained as his Keyblade disappeared. "To truly claim complete control over Kingdom Hearts, at least according to ancient legends previously lost to the ages, one must gather and unite thirteen divine Keyblades, all forged by the very Kingdom they possess the ability to unlock. And… whoever holds them all is destined to be its ruler undisputed, with every shred of power it has to offer at their disposal, now until the end of time itself."

"The ruler…" Saïx spoke up first, breaking through the small bout of silence that permeated the room after this prophecy was delivered to the all. "Of Kingdom Hearts…?"

"Well, well!" Xigbar spoke up with an intrigued grin upon hearing this. "Now we're thinkin' _really _big here, aren't we, old man? I'd say it's about time!"

"So I suppose your intention is to have each of us go out and collect these thirteen Keys for your purposed regime then," Marluxia inferred, feigning boredom. "Correct?"

"To an extent…" Xehanort grinned knowingly. "The Keys to the Kingdom, as they are called, are scattered far and wide across the worlds. No one knows exactly where they are hidden, but it is foretold that finding even just one will lead to the location of the next and so on and so forth. It is for that purpose that I am indeed sending each of you out among the worlds to search for the Keys and bring them back to me. Do this, and I can guarantee: each and every single one of you will have an equal share in our conquest when Kingdom Hearts finally, _finally _belongs to us!"

In any other group, this rallying promise might have elicited an excited cheer; but instead, the members of the new Organization simply nodded in solid, mostly unanimous agreement with their master's plan. After all, the power and potential of Kingdom Hearts was beyond comprehension, said to be able to do just about anything and everything imaginable. Regardless of whatever Xehanort himself wanted that incredible power for, more than a few members already had their own ideas in mind for what they'd do with even a fraction of it. Ideas that, as far as most of them were concerned, were more than worth the effort it would take to track the Keys to the Kingdom down and bring them back to Xehanort just so he could pull it all together for them.

"I am certain that the guardians of light will soon be made aware of the prophecy of the Keys, if they're not already," the master continued. "But even if they do intend to search for them, they shall be far outnumbered. Scatter yourselves among the worlds and do whatever you must to secure those Keys for the darkness. And as I said before…" Xehanort glowered down at his members warningly, barely even needing to remind them just what was at stake if they failed to do as he said. "Be aware of the price for disappointing me. Inasmuch as I brought each of you back, I can just as easily take all that I have returned to you away again. And so, with that in mind… go! Go and bring forth both the Keys and the Kingdom for us all!"

On this stern command, most of the Organization members readily complied, not hesitating to disappear into dark portals so they could prepare to set out to do just that. The master watched with a satisfied smile as they all departed, including his own Heartless, Nobody, and younger self, each heading off on their own with their primary mission clear. However, only a handful of them currently knew of the _other _prize they were seeking, one that they could only just keep a close eye on from afar for now. Though Xehanort was certain that, with enough time, perception, and patience on his part, then all the pieces would soon fall perfectly into place, just as they did once before.

"'Go and bring forth the Keys and the Kingdom for _us all_', huh? Good one. I gotta admit, you nearly had me going right along with everyone else with that. And maybe I might have if I was even _half _as stupid as any of them are."

The elderly master's lingering grin faded somewhat as he raised an eyebrow down at the only remaining member in the room sitting several seats away from him. "I do believe I just issued an absolute order to _everyone _present," Xehanort said coldly. "Which means you are free to go as well, Vanitas."

The masked boy scoffed as he leaned back in his chair a bit, making no apparent effort to depart whatsoever. "Like I just said, I _would _have left right along with the rest of them," he began bluntly. "_If _I hadn't already caught onto exactly what kind of game you're playing at, old man."

"And what 'game' might that be?" Xehanort asked almost boredly as he rolled his eyes.

"You and I both know that you don't have any plans of sharing Kingdom Hearts if you really do end up getting your hands on it," Vanitas pointed out plainly. "A prize like that is far too enticing to just split up like that, _especially _for someone like you whose been after it for so long. I don't know how you managed to get all those idiots to believe you, but believe _me _when I say that you're _not _fooling me."

Xehanort initially said nothing to this, instead simply sending the masked boy a rather piercing look of disapproval before ultimately deciding to pass his brazenness off as mere hyperbole. "So I suppose you find yourself quite clever for figuring that out, don't you?" he asked, his confident smirk returning only slightly. "No matter. The other seekers shall still go and search out the Keys to the Kingdom all the same. And in the same way, so too shall you fulfill your purpose, Vanitas, by locating Ventus, joining your heart together with his, and finally forging the X-Blade for your master. And _this time _you will not fail me as you did before. Do you understand?"

Vanitas didn't respond, instead opting to glance away from his master as he crossed his arms stoically. Xehanort's already somewhat impatient scowl deepened at this at this impertinence as he repeated himself much more firmly this time. "I _said _do you understa-"

"Understand? Yes," Vanitas interrupted, the bitter sarcasm in his tone excruciatingly clear. "Care? No." With that, the masked boy leapt down from his seat with the apparent intention of leaving. "You really think that grand scheme of yours is actually gonna work this time? Face it, 'master', you couldn't get Kingdom Hearts to be yours back then, Ansem couldn't get it to be his, and neither could Xemnas. You're all exactly the same, in every way imaginable. Just a bunch of blind, ego-driven old men stuck on the same stupid plan that _never _seems to work! Which is why I'm surprised _I'm _the only one who's tired of waiting on you to deliver on something you'll _never _be able to obtain, even with the X-Blade, even with the Keys, even with all the other pawns you think you have set up _so _nicely to help you in what's ultimately gonna be just _another _losing battle. So forget it; I'm _done_." Without even sparing Xehanort another single word, Vanitas turned to make his succinct and sour exit, though before he could make much of an attempt to summon a dark corridor, his leave was expectedly interrupted by the master himself.

Vanitas deftly leapt out of the path of a powerful burst of darkness, one that came from Xehanort's hand as the master stood atop his high throne, glaring icily down at the masked boy below him. "I'm afraid you don't have the option of being 'done'," he remarked, his Keyblade easily appearing in his hand. In an instant, the master sped down from his elevated perch with frightening speed, his blade poised for attack. Vanitas only had mere seconds to summon his own Keyblade so that he could properly block Xehanort's brutal swing, but even so, it still pushed him back across the room's central platform by several feet all the same.

"So…" the masked boy began, somewhat breathless from the surprise of the attack as he repositioned himself to properly square off against his master. "We're back to this again, huh?"

"I've found that it always _was _the best way to get either you or Ventus to behave," Xehanort mused calmly as darkness began to swirl around his Keyblade.

"Hmph, like that straight-edged loser even has a rebellious bone in his body," the masked boy deadpanned haughtily as he referred to his other half. Acting on adrenaline alone, he rushed forward, Keyblade at the ready before he sent its edge swinging hard at his master. Xehanort countered the strike easily, kicking Vanitas back once more before rushing in for yet another barrage of unforgiving attacks. The masked boy only barely blocked most of them, though a few of them landed hard and painfully, even if they still weren't quite enough to completely wear him down. Still, despite his age, Xehanort was stilled and strong, his abilities with his Keyblade far surpassing Vanitas' own, however formidable that might have been. He well knew from experience that he'd only be able to hold his own in a struggle like this up against his master for so long and it was quickly becoming apparent that this fight would be no exception.

After lashing out with another merciless swing, Xehanort decided to keep his Keyblade pressed tightly against Vanitas', knowing that the friction would inevitably wear the masked boy down, as much as he tried to push back against it. "You realize just as much as I do that this bout of petty rebellion is absolutely meaningless, do you not?" the master asked, glaring down at his apprentice harshly. "If you do not pursue Ventus and join again with him to form the X-Blade, then you will forever remain an incomplete, empty being of nothing more than directionless darkness. Act as impertinent as you'd like, but you cannot deny that _I_ am the only one who can help you become whole."

Put off by such an arrogant assumption, Vanitas shoved his Keyblade back hard, surprising even Xehanort, but still not enough for him to relinquish his steady hold. "Its amazing how someone who claims to know _so _much can be so wrong about so many things," the masked boy remarked bitingly. "I don't need you to find Ventus. I _never _needed you. Face it, old man: if you really want that X-Blade, then _you're _the one who needs _me_."

That final bold statement was easily enough to set Xehanort off even more than he already was, an impressive feat to be sure. In his tranquil rage, the master brought his Keyblade down in a sudden, calculated swing, one that the masked boy was unable to properly deflect this time. Vanitas was thrown back once more by the incredible force of the attack, to the point that he barely even noticed the small, but sizable crack that had started to form across his mask as the result of it. Somehow, its glass surface didn't break, but all the same, Xehanort showed no signs of letting up anytime soon.

"Perhaps you did not hear what I told the others," the master said darkly, standing over his injured apprentice threateningly. "I restored you to your pitiful existence, even after the disappointment you proved to be years ago. But it'd be just as easy for me to take you out once again and replace you with a much more… suitable candidate." At this, Xehanort rose his Keyblade, hovering it over Vanitas with the intent of bringing it down in a devastating blow in a moment's notice if he didn't get his way. "Which is why I will only tell you this one final time: you _will _forge the X-Blade for me or you _will _face obliteration once more. And this time, I will _not _be as merciful as to give you another chance again. It's your choice."

Initially, it seemed as though Vanitas was actually going to comply with his master's demands as he said nothing, simply hanging his head in what almost looked like begrudging acceptance. That is, until he managed to pull off the only trick he had up left his sleeve that could actually work to put some distance between himself and Xehanort's deadly Keyblade. An immense pall of darkness surged around the masked boy and from that darkness, a swarm of creatures, both big and small, though all composed of the same shadowy malice, emerged: the Unversed.

The massive wave of monsters was more than enough to push Xehanort back, finally giving Vanitas enough time to pick himself up and leap out of the fray. Of course, the master made quick work of the rampaging Unversed, but by then, his apprentice had already safely distanced himself by leaping onto one of the higher chairs and summoning a dark corridor to make a hasty retreat.

"Oh, believe me, I _am _going to forge the X-Blade," Vanitas assured, his tone icy as he turned to face his now-former master one last time. "But when I do, I can guarantee that you'll be the _last _person to ever get your hands on it, 'Master'…" And, without bothering to spare another word on Xehanort, the masked boy disappeared into the darkness, ready to act on his own ambitions for a change instead of those of his faltering, vindictive master.

"Hmph," Xehanort scoffed to himself, still standing in the center of the Round Room as his Keyblade disappeared. "Insolent whelp. No matter…" The master was quick to teleport back to his usual elevated seat, his contented, calculated grin returning as he thought back to his steadily-developing plans. "He cannot stop what is destined to transpire. The Keys, the Kingdom, and of course, the thirteenth vessel shall all soon fall into my hands, one by one." Xehanort's smirk widened as he set his sights on the lowest-bearing seat across from him, still as empty as it had been before, though he could already sense that it wouldn't remain that way for long. "Isn't that right… _Sora_?"

* * *

**AN-Dang, I'm not even subtle at all am I? Either way, like I said this was a lot of fun! And important setup for a lot of things to come, so I hope you paid good attention! I was gonna include like two more scenes in here, but honestly, I'm just gonna put those scenes off for later chapters, since they're easy to move around and I liked how this ended. All the same, next time we're kickin off our first of many Disney chapters with a... _fun_ little jaunt to Olympus! So yeah, I don't have a ton else to say except to encourage you to follow/favorite/and most of all REVIEW telling me what you thought, what you think might happen next, all that good stuff! Until next time! **


	5. Chapter 4: Hero to Zero

_Ok so here's the drill with this chapter. It does, for the most part play out pretty dang similar to how Olympus does in KH3, but only because this chapter is more setup for the next one than anything else. See each Disney world is gonna have two chapters reserved for it, so this first Olympus one is kinda just... again setup for the next one so if you feel like its kinda lifting a lot from 3, well... that's sorta why! Either way, it was fun to work on, so I hope you'll have fun reading it! Let's get started!_

* * *

_Chapter 4: Hero to Zero_

_He was a no one  
(A zero, zero)  
Now he's a honcho  
(He's a hero!)  
Here was a kid with his act down pat!  
From zero to hero in no time flat!  
Zero to hero just like that!_

In all their past expeditions to Olympus, Sora, Donald, and Goofy usually spent most of their time at the world's iconic coliseum. The arena's tall and stately structure was a favorite haunt for the trio, as was the world that contained it as a whole, for all the grand adventures and heroic exploits they'd shared there. Training to measure up as true heroes under Phil, rushing to protect Meg from the perils of the treacherous Underworld, fighting alongside Hercules to foil Hades' sinister schemes. All were fond memories for the trio, memories that they thought would come rushing right back to them in full force upon arriving at the familiar coliseum.

Or at least they _would _have if they had actually arrived _at _the coliseum.

For upon embarking from the Gummi Ship, Sora, Donald, and Goofy found themselves not before the arena's statue-guarded entrance, but rather on a lush outcropping halfway up a mountain so tall its distant peak seemed to pierce the heavens themselves. Needless to say that the trio was certain they had landed in Olympus, they were still aptly confused by the unfamiliar scenery, with nary a coliseum not Underworld for that matter in sight.

"What? No fanfare?" Sore spoke up first, pretending to blow a trumpet to emphasize his point. Donald sent him something of a caustic look before shaking his head while Goofy stepped forward to try to get a better look at their newfound surroundings.

"Nope," the captain confirmed. "Looks like we missed the coliseum."

"Sora, _you're _the one who opened the gate!" Donald scolded the Keybearer impatiently. "I thought you knew where we were going this time!"

"I was… a _little _off again," Sora grinned apologetically. "Sorry! We'll find him, but we need to go!"

"Up the mountain?" Donald asked as Sora already began heading in that direction.

"Yeah," the Keybearer glanced back over his shoulder briefly. "'Up' is the usual direction."

"Well, it never hurts to have your head in the clouds!" Goofy quipped optimistically.

"That's the spirit!" Sora exclaimed brightly, running on ahead. Goofy couldn't help but let out an amused chuckle as he went to follow him, though Donald sighed, already somewhat exasperated by the levity his companions often shared when they were supposed to be taking thing seriously. Still, the magician was quick to hurry after the pair, trudging the worn and craggy path ahead towards wherever it might lead.

"Whoa…" Sora mused, amazed as they passed into a wide-open, mosaic-adorned area. "I can't believe Herc's world is so _huge!"_

"Well, the past few times we've been here we _were _pretty busy," Goofy pointed out. "Guess we didn't get much of a chance to go explorin'."

"That's a good thing!" Donald asserted firmly. "The less exploring we do, the less of a chance we have to mess up the world order by mistake!"

"Seriously, Donald?" Sora asked with a wry smirk. "Are you _ever _gonna let go of that whole 'world order' thing?"

"No, I won't!" the magician fussed, sending the Keybearer a disapproving glare. "You _should _know by now that it's important!"

"Hey, I _do _know," Sora protested, casually perching his hands behind his head. "You don't ever see me going around messing with the order of things, do you?"

Upon hearing this, Donald and Goofy exchanged a knowing glance, both of them well aware of Sora's regular tendency to get himself (and by extension both of them) involved in the affairs of other worlds when they really should have just left things well enough alone. Even so, neither of them could really fault him for it; despite the fact that such behavior could indeed be considered "meddling", there was no question that Sora's heart was always in the right place. Whenever they did involve themselves in the problems of a given world, it was usually for the sake of helping those within that world as a whole or at the very least whatever new acquaintances they happened to make along the way. It was through that enthusiastic altruism, typically spearheaded by Sora, that the trio met some of their most invaluable friends and allies, including the very legendary hero they had come to this world to see.

It didn't take very long for the trio to emerge onto another elevated range, one that gave them a clear, full picture of the sprawling valley far below. Yet as awe-inspiring as the view admittedly was, it still wasn't really giving any of them too much to go off of when it came to determining their exact location.

"Ya know, fellas," Goofy spoke up with a frown. "I think we might be goin' in circles…"

"Sora…" Donald huffed as he looked to the Keybearer who had been leading the way.

"Did I make a turn at the wrong rock or something?" Sora muttered, also quite bewildered. All the same, since a cursory inspection of the area wasn't really giving them any results, he decided to step forward with a more direct way of tracking the legendary hero down. "Hey, Hercules!" he shouted into the valley in the hopes that the hero might hear him. "Where are youuu?"

While Hercules himself was still nowhere to be found to offer a response to this call, someone else had heard it in his stead, and that someone was sure to make his displeasure with it quite clear the moment he touched down behind the trio in a heavy cloud of dark smoke. "All right. I _know _I dotted my I's, crossed my T's, zeroed the hero. So what gives? Who could _possibly _be trying to give me a _migraine _by yodeling that yutz's name!?"

Though most would have likely cowered in fear in the presence of the lord of the dead himself, Sora, Donald, and Goofy merely let out a shared disappointed sigh upon being met with this reoccurring foe yet again. "Really? Hades?" Sora asked with a disappointed scowl.

"Oh, its just _you_," Hades huffed, just as disgruntled to see the trio as they were to see him. "Oy vey…"

"_Just _us?" Sora repeated, hands on his hips. "Even for you that's cold."

"Yeah, well don't forget!" Hades snapped harshly. "I can always turn up the heat!"

"Wait a sec…" Goofy interjected, glancing around curiously. "If Hades is here, then where's Herc?"

"What is everyone's infatuation with that DOLT!?" Hades growled, his blue flames spiking red with rage at the mere mention of the legendary hero. All the same, the lord of the dead was quick to calm himself down, especially when he considered his already-rapidly unfolding plans. "You know what? Never mind, never mind. I'm cool, I'm good. Because… _Wonderboy _will be outta my hair soon enough…"

"So you're up to no good again!" Sora assumed, already readily summoning his Keyblade.

"Of course he is," Goofy agreed as him and Donald also pulled out their respective weapons.

"You bet!" the magician added, holding his staff warningly as they all glared the lord of the dead down.

"Whoa, easy," Hades remarked, glancing back at the battle-ready trio. "What is this, Sparta? Kind of on a schedule here. Don't have time to toss around the ol' fire and brimstone. The whole cosmos is basically waiting for me to, y'know, _conquer _it! So I better not leave it hanging."

"Poor Hades," Sora remarked with little sympathy as the lord of the dead began to head off. "He really thinks he can actually pull it off this time."

"He's gotta know that the three of us and Hercules are gonna stop him again," Donald added just as confidently.

"Not this time, you're not!" Hades shot back as he turned his gaze up towards the towering mountain itself. "Where are my Titans?!" he called commandingly. "Show me your power!"

Despite their previous doubts, Sora, Donald, and Goofy all jolted in surprise as the stony ground beneath their feet began to tremble violently at this demand. Likewise, the gentle blue skies ahead turned dark and stormy, heralding the arrival of not one, but _four _massive, unimaginable terrors. Nature itself seemed to go completely haywire in their presence, the ongoing earthquake still rattling the mountain as deadly molten lava spilled down from its peak. A frigid, icy chill, carried by a brutal, blustery gust tore through the air and in the center of all this chaos stood Hades, absolutely reveling in the sheer destructive potential his Titans were showing. "Ah! Love the breeze!" the lord of the dead sighed with a wide, sinister grin as he looked behind him again. "Don't you, fellas?"

Neither Sora, Donald, nor Goofy had much of a chance to respond amidst the practically deafening winds, which they were all having quite a hard time standing against. The force of the supernatural gale was relentless, and despite the trio's best efforts, it soon proved to be too much for them. In one fell swoop, they were all thrown clear off the mountain, the winds catapulting them upward and out from the outcropping towards what would likely be a painful landing in the distant valley miles below.

And then, just as quickly as the elemental tumult had begun, it came to an end on Hades' succinct command. The lord of the dead's smug grin was still apparent as he looked off to where the trio had been blown away, satisfied that they wouldn't impede his plans this time. "Ah, that sent em' sailing," Hades mused, though his smile quickly fell as he took a moment to realize exactly _where _the trio was likely headed. "Sailing right to where I left… Eh, no biggie." The lord of the dead shrugged, unconcerned as he turned back to the quartet of monsters hanging around the mountain high above him. "Nice work, boys! So, back to the whole cosmic coup thing?"

As always, the Titans heeded their lords' command, trudging their way back up to the home of the gods on the mountain's peak so they could take it as their own. Hades gladly saw them off, though his formerly aggravated manner returned in full force as he sensed a dark corridor open up not too far behind him. "Ugh… _really_?" he asked with a begrudging sigh. "Are you kidding? Geez louise, when it rains it pours. Ok, who's the new pest?"

"Hey, now! That ain't no way to say hello, 'specially to your old friends."

"Oh _perfect_…" Hades scowled as he turned around to face the pair stepping out of the dark portal. "Now I gotta put up with you two."

"You needn't worry," Maleficent assured, her expression as dour as ever. "We've no intentions of wasting your no-doubt… _valuable _time."

"Yeah, we just dropped by to ask ya somethin' real quick," Pete added with a brazen smirk.

"Oh yeah?" Hades raised an eyebrow. "Funny, I don't remember either of you two doing me any memorable favors. So you can keep your Heartless this time, and your cockamamie questions to yourselves. I'm going back to my original plan. All right? So… toodle-oo! Exit's thataway! Hey, it was great seein' ya. _Happy traaaaails_!"

"We're not here to aid in your small-minded schemes," the dark fairy countered calmly. "I have my own business to attend to. All I need to know is if there is a distinctive… black box… somewhere in this world."

"Black box, huh?" Hades repeated rather boredly. "Hm… black box, black box, black box… Wait. Don't tell me… you're after the one Zeus hid on Earth?"

"…Possibly," Maleficent said vaguely. "If I were, where might it be?"

"I dunno," Hades shrugged apathetically. "Somewhere down in Thebes, I guess. Not sure what a power-hungry broad like you would want with some dumb ol' trinket of a box like that though."

"Huh? Trinket? Are you sayin' that this box is tiny or somethin'?" Pete asked, dismayed as he turned to Maleficent for confirmation. "I thought you said what we're lookin' for is supposed to be this big sorta treasure-chest type thing!"

"Quiet, you fool," the dark fairy hissed, not wanting to tip the lord of the dead, or anyone else for that matter, off to what she was really searching for. "Its size and appearance matters not. After all…" she kept her voice lowered down at a whisper as she smirked darkly. "The most unassuming vessels can often hold the most… unpredictable power within them…"

"Hey, not that this isn't an absolute _blast _or anything," Hades interjected somewhat impatiently. "But I kinda have things to do, enemies to thrash, the whole nine yards, you know how it is. So… are we done here?"

"Yes…" Maleficent nodded as she summoned another dark corridor to take her leave. "I believe we are."

"Great, see ya around," the lord of the dead deadpanned with a halfhearted wave as he finally left, though not without ranting to himself the entire time. "Geez, not even a thank-you for the tip about the stupid box? Getting outta her payroll was one of the best things you ever did for yourself, Hades, _that's _for sure…"

"So…" Pete spoke up once Hades was out of earshot. "Ya really think that box he was talkin' about was the one we're after?"

"We shall see for ourselves…" Maleficent said simply as she walked into the dark portal, her henchman hurrying right along after her. "Come along, Pete. I believe our search has only just begun…"

* * *

The city of Thebes was a vast, sprawling Grecian metropolis, sitting in the safety of the shadow of Mount Olympus itself. However, that safety seemed to be doing nothing for it now as the town was currently in a complete and utter upheaval. Hades had launched a devastating attack upon it, sending fire raining down from the sky and monsters out to scour the streets. The city had already seen substantial damage in the past several hours alone, with plenty of structures having fallen victim to the ongoing chaos. Thebes' citizens themselves were in just as much of a panic, scrambling to find any safe haven they could to shelter themselves from the torrential destruction ravaging their home. And yet, amidst this grave devastation, the people still found they had one hope to rely on to rescue them from it all and restore peace once again: Hercules.

The legendary hero was in the middle of doing just that too as he had only just finished saving a group of civilians from a dangerous street fire. Hercules stood, perched atop a nearby building to take the briefest of breathers before throwing himself back into the frantic fray, fully aware that a hero's work was never done. However, just before the hero could return to his regularly-scheduled rescuing, his attention was diverted by the emerging noise of three very distinct, very familiar cries of fearful alarm. And upon turning towards the source of these screams for himself, Hercules didn't hesitate to leap into action to save his three peril-ridden friends.

In one swift, deft leap, Hercules caught both Sora and Goofy, halting their freefall and making a safe and stable landing with the pair in tow. "See? Told ya we'd find him!" Sora proclaimed only mere seconds after their landing.

"Yeah, guess this counts!" Goofy agreed just as heartily.

The legendary hero offered the pair a brief nod of greeting, though before he really had much of a chance to say hello, his attention was garnished by the only member of the trio he hadn't successfully caught. "Hey! Get me down!" Donald squawked, struggling to free himself from the maw of the massive lion statue he had managed to land on.

"Just a second!" Hercules called, promptly setting Sora and Goofy down to retrieve the frustrated magician. And as soon as everyone was safe and settled on the ground, a proper reunion between the trio and the legendary hero took off almost immediately.

"Sora, Donald, Goofy! You guys are here!" Hercules exclaimed with a surprised, though excited grin. "You three _literally _dropped in. Gotta say, I'm impressed."

"Thanks!" Donald retorted brightly.

"Liked the catch," Goofy said just as enthusiastically.

"Yeah, thanks, Herc," Sora nodded in apt agreement for the timely save. "But… what's going on?" he asked, noting the destruction-ravaged streets around them, smoldering piles of rubble still burning bright in seemingly every direction.

"Take a guess," the legendary hero sighed in clear exasperation. "Starts with an H…"

"Ah," Sora crossed his arms, already knowing well who Hercules was referring to. "I get the picture. Actually, we bumped into the H-ster on the way here."

"He said somethin' about conquerin' the whole cosmos," Goofy added a touch more seriously.

"All of it, huh?" Hercules asked sardonically, hardly phased by Hades' latest grandiose scheme. "Nice of him to show a little self-restraint. Well, whatever he's planning, I'll send him running back across the Styx!"

"That's our Herc!" Sora grinned, mimicking Hercules' heroic pose.

The legendary hero couldn't help but let out a small, amused chuckle at the Keybearer's admirable zeal as he beckoned for the trio to help him investigate the nearby town center for any straggling civilians in danger. "So, Sora, is there a reason you guys are visiting?" Hercules asked, curious. "I'm guessing its not just for the cheese and olives."

"Oh yeah!" Sora exclaimed in realization.

"Looks like somebody forgot," Goofy teased lightly.

"That's Sora for you," Donald chided just as playfully.

"Hey, I didn't forget!" Sora protested. "I just… took my time remembering. Besides, we were sort of busy dealing with Hades and being blown off a mountain and everything, so can you _really _blame me for getting distracted?"

"Yes," Donald retorted, absolutely deadpan.

"_Anyway_…" Sora said, sending the magician a pointed glare before he turned to Hercules and the matter at hand. "Herc, I came here because I wanted to ask you something."

"Ask _me_?" the hero repeated, genuinely surprised.

"Yeah," the Keybearer nodded resolutely. "Do you remember the last time we were together? You were feeling down and out. How'd you get your strength back when you jumped in and saved Meg?"

"Hm… that's tough…" Hercules mused thoughtfully. "All I know is… that she was in trouble. Suddenly, I wanted to save her with all my heart, but… it's not like I could really tell you how I did it exactly…"

"Oh man…" Sora sighed in clear disappointment. After all, they had come all this way seeking Hercules' advice, advice that would have been born from such first-hand experience. But if even the hero didn't know how to explain the rise from his own fall, then how was Sora supposed to follow in his footsteps and do the same for himself?

"What's wrong?" Hercules asked, concerned upon noticing the Keybearer's obvious dejection.

Sora glanced down, his usual upbeat manner solemn and remorseful as he filled the hero in. "A-all my strength left me too…" he admitted, almost ashamed to say it out loud. "That's why I wanted to find you—I was hoping you might have a solution or some advice or… _something_."

"Oh…" Hercules frowned sympathetically. "I'm sorry, Sora. But… for what its worth, I'm sure you'll find a way to regain that lost strength of yours somehow. After all, I've seen you pull off crazier things than that."

Though it was really a rather small sentiment, Sora couldn't help but perk up somewhat upon receiving the hero's vote of confidence. However, before he had a chance to thank Hercules for it, the conversation was sharply interrupted from a stark warning from Donald.

"Heartless!" the magician cried, pointing to the stormy skies above. Sure enough, raining down like meteors from the heavens was a horde of flaming Heartless, each of which crashed into the square before the trio and the hero with heavy force. One such impact struck the side of the town's centerpiece, a large, finely-sculpted statue of Hercules himself, built to honor the hero and his labors. Despite its sturdy structure, it easily toppled over from the blow, slamming to the ground and adding even more destruction onto what the already rampaging group of Heartless were bringing about as they blasted their brimstone around the square wildly.

"We'll talk later!" Hercules exclaimed, already taking up a fighting stance against the creatures as the trio prepped their respective weapons for the melee ahead.

"Right," Sora agreed, tightening his grip on his Keyblade. "Once we've dealt with these guys."

And with that, the fight was on. Upon noticing the group taking opposition against them, the Heartless quickly swarmed, a number of them rushing forward with their forms flaming and ready to attack. But for as threatening as the creatures of darkness attempted to be, they were met with a group that was more than used to squaring off against them by now. Since he was already filled with adrenaline from his ongoing efforts of protecting the town, Hercules leapt into the fray first, his sheer physical strength serving him well as he tossed the Heartless around as though they were little more than dead weight. Though it had admittedly been awhile since either of them had actively engaged in combat, Donald and Goofy were also quick to get back into the swing of things as the captain plowed his shield into the creatures while the magician blasted off a barrage of spells to take them down.

Likewise, Sora rushed into battle just as confidently, Keyblade at the ready, though almost immediately, he noticed that his swings were nowhere near as impactful he knew they could be. He wasn't pulling any punches in his attacks (he rarely ever did), but all the same the Keybearer still felt slower, weaker even, and he had a strong suspicion as to why. The flaming Heartless they were facing was certainly a weaker subset of them, one that could be easily taken out by merely a well-timed water spell; but even after casting several such spells, Sora found that very few of the creatures skittering around him were actually going down, much to his growing frustration. And as distracted as the Keybearer was by the group of Heartless directly in front of him, he didn't even notice the creature bounding up behind him until it launched a fiery burst directly at him, one that he knew, in the brief second he glanced over his shoulder to see it, he'd have no time to deflect.

Fortunately, Sora didn't have to as Goofy ended up doing the job for him. The dangerous flames struck the captain's shield squarely, and in retaliation, he launched his weapon straight at the offending Heartless, defeating it easily. "Look alive, Sora!" Goofy reminded good-naturedly as he hurried off to help Donald square off against another group.

"That's funny, I thought I _was_…" Sora huffed, somewhat disgruntled even if he was still grateful for the timely save.

With their numbers already steadily going down, the rest of the Heartless were relatively easier work for the group to thin out. However, just when it seemed as though their work was about over while they were collaborating on clearing out the last few straggling creatures, an all new cause for alarm came to their attention from, of all places, above.

"Hercules!" the familiar cry prompted the entire group to turn around to see none other than Pegasus, toting both Meg and Phil, soaring in towards the square. However, Meg's fearful shout was soon understood when the group on the ground spotted the swarm of winged Heartless hovering around them.

"Augh! Will ya annoying little schmucks get outta here already?!" Phil yelled as he made as much of an attempt to swat the attacking creatures away.

"How about a little help up here, huh?!" Meg called to the group below as she did her best to steer Pegasus to safety.

"Meg! Phil!" Hercules exclaimed, immensely concerned for the pair and the peril they were in. Without hesitation, the hero leapt high as Pegasus flew in low, allowing him to clock several of the Heartless clean out of the air, though plenty more still remained.

"Come on, Sora!" Donald urged as him and Goofy began running on ahead to do whatever they could to assist the hero. "We gotta help them!"

Upon receiving no immediate response from the Keybearer, the pair was quick to take pause, knowing that he was usually the first to run headlong to the rescue of just about anyone in danger. And yet, when they glanced back to check on Sora, they were both quite surprised and worried to see that he seemed to be absolutely winded from their recently-ended scuffle; the tip of his Keyblade was digging into the cobblestone ground as he leaned against it for support, his clothes, skin, and hair all lightly singed thanks to the formerly flaming Heartless as he struggled to catch his breath and recover from the relatively short skirmish.

"Sora?" Goofy asked as both him and Donald turned to face the exhausted Keybearer fully, letting Hercules handle the rest of the Heartless above. "Are you ok?"

As soon as he noticed the fretful glances his companions were sending his way, Sora was quick to snap upright, forcing a reassuring smile even if he was still quite breathless from all the exertion. "Y-yeah! I'm… I'm fine!"

"Are ya sure?" the captain pressed. "You seem kinda tired…"

"W-who, me?" Sora scoffed as steadily as he could. "No way! I… I'm just a little… a little out of p-practice is all! But I-I'll get over it! Now, c'mon, we… we gotta help Herc save Meg a-and-"

"Actually," the hero interjected as he landed back down before the trio, motioning to Pegasus safely doing the same behind him. "I think I got just about all of them. I appreciate the enthusiasm though."

"Aw man…" Sora muttered to himself, disappointed largely with his limits, which were, by all accounts, much lower than he would have liked them to be.

"Hercules!" Meg exclaimed, immensely relieved as she hopped off the winged horse to rush to the hero and engulf him in a tight embrace. "You're ok!"

"_I'm _ok?" Hercules laughed as he returned her hug. "I should be saying that about you since you guys were the ones who nearly just got knocked out of the sky just now."

"Eh, we would've been fine with just me smackin' them freaks around," Phil remarked as sardonically as ever. "Not that I won't give ya _any_ points for the flashy rescue, kid," the satyr joked, elbowing his former pupil's leg playfully.

"Yeesh…" Meg remarked, glancing around the decimated square as she parted away from the hero. "Whatever happened here doesn't look so fun…"

"No, not with the Heartless involved," Hercules shook his head before he glanced over at the trio with a grin. "We're just lucky our friends showed up to help out."

"Well, whaddaya know?" Meg said as she offered the trio a wry smirk of greeting. "Sora, Donald, Goofy, I guess we owe you a big thank you."

"Hey, anytime!" Sora assured brightly, having mostly recovered from the preceding fight.

"Oy, kid, you ain't lookin' so hot," Phil noted, commenting on the Keybearer's still rather battle-worn appearance. "You sure you've been keepin' up with your hero training like I told ya to the last time you were here?"

"O-of course I have!" Sora protested defensively. "In fact, that's why we came here in the first place: to get stronger."

"Like Hercules!" Donald added.

"Aw, c'mon, you guys…" Hercules rebuffed with a humble chuckle.

"Yeah, well luckily for you, I trained the best of the best," Phil concluded, looking to the hero with a proud smirk. "Who knows? Maybe someday you three will end up at least getting' somewhere close to catching up to 'im."

"Hey!" the trio exclaimed in faux offended unison.

"Alright, alright, the _last _thing we need is another fight breaking out around here, you four," Hercules interjected, his laughter dying down as he turned back to Meg with renewed seriousness. "Meg, you need to stay someplace safe. We'll search the city and make sure everyone manages to stay clear of the fire."

Meg nodded in agreement with this plan, though even still, her expression alone conveyed her worry easily. "Be careful, Wonderboy," she urged fretfully.

"I will," the hero assured, leaning in to give her a brief kiss on the forehead before turning back to the trio. "So, you guys in?"

"Of course, we're in!" Sora exclaimed readily, as his companions nodded in solid agreement.

"We're heroes!" Donald proclaimed proudly.

"Mm-hm!" Goofy agreed just as enthusiastically.

"Eh, I _still_ think you three are a little wet behind the ears," Phil remarked, eying the trio critically. "But you're gettin' there."

"Break a leg then, 'heroes'," Meg said, sending the group a playful salute as she began making her way back over to Pegasus.

"Phil, you should go with Meg," Hercules said to his former trainer who nodded dutifully to the task.

"Don't worry, kid," the satyr grinned bravely. "I'll keep an eye on her. And if any more of those pesky puntzes attack us, _I'll_ put 'em in their place!"

"Then we better hope none of them show up or else we'll _all _be in for trouble," Meg deadpanned, eliciting an annoyed glare from Phil as he climbed onto Pegasus behind her.

Hercules briefly joined them to give his loyal steed a steadying pat, confident that he'd do well in keeping protecting them from the danger still besetting Thebes. "You gotta keep her safe," he said sternly, to which Pegasus nodded with clear assurance that he would.

And with that, the horse opened his wings wide, leaping high and taking flight with the intent of carrying Meg and Phil to safety, just as Hercules had said. Despite the distance between them, the hero couldn't help but smile as he saw them off, relieved to know that the woman he cared for most would be out of harm's way. However, the group barely even had a chance to rest easy in that fact before yet another fearful plea rang out across the otherwise empty square.

"Heeeelp! Is anyone theeeere?"

"Hey! I hear a voice!" Goofy alerted, pointing towards the source of the cry. The others looked over in that direction only to find quite an alarming sight: a young girl, likely no older than ten, had somehow ended up stranded upon a tall pile of rubble overlooking the city center. She pressed up close to the stony wall behind her, clearly terrified of the perilous situation she was in, especially with the flames scorching that part of the town starting to press in just below her.

"Oh no! There's a little girl caught in the fire!" Hercules warned the others urgently.

"Then let's go!" Sora exclaimed, already hurrying on ahead, eager to do whatever he could to both help and build his lost strength up again.

"Wait! Running's too slow!" Hercules cut in succinctly.

"Then what's the other choice?" the Keybearer asked incredulously as he slid to a stop.

The legendary hero took pause, glancing around the smoldering square for a possible solution before finding one lying only just a few feet away. "Get on that," Hercules grinned to the trio as he pointed to his own fallen statue. Sora, Donald, and Goofy exchanged a brief, confused glance, but none of them pressed the hero any further on what his plan could be, all three of them trusting that whatever it was, it would hopefully be bound to work.

And so the trio quickly scaled the statue, perching themselves upon its stone cape as they waited to see whatever it was Hercules intended on doing next. "Is this safe?" Donald asked somewhat apprehensively, glancing down from their spot on the statue.

"Hope so," Goofy shrugged, ready for anything, as usual.

"You ready down there?" Sora asked, calling down to Hercules below.

"Sure am!" the hero assured as he got a good and steady grip on the bottom of the state. "Now, hold on tight!"

The trio did so, still not sure of what the hero's plan was until they felt the statue suddenly move beneath them, much to their shared alarm. "W-whoa!" Sora exclaimed, aptly startled as he held onto the statue tighter. "Herc, m-maybe we should-"

Before the Keybearer had a chance to finish, Hercules had already hoisted the entire statue, which was at least several times his size, above his head, barely even breaking a sweat from the immense weight of it, much to the fearful bafflement of the trio clinging onto its upper side. Yet despite their shaken cries, the hero kept up his steady stance, carefully taking aim and, with a single mighty throw, he launched the entire statue hard and high into the air, sending it and the three passengers riding atop it, soaring towards the other side of the city. It was yet another perilous flight for the trio to be sure, though surprisingly their landing wasn't so harrowing as the statue skidded to a safe stop upon one of Thebes' higher levels. The hero had indeed aimed true as it put them quite close to where the endangered girl was still awaiting rescue, and rescue her was exactly what they did. Upon retrieving her from her elevated spot, the trio made sure to deposit her a good distance away from the fire, something she was certainly grateful for as she thanked the group before running off to find proper shelter, giving Sora, Donald, and Goofy a much-needed moment to relax.

"Well, that could've gone a lot worse than it did," Donald remarked, glancing back to the landed statue several feet away.

"What are we supposed to do now?" Goofy asked curiously, glancing around the largely empty area.

"I guess we might as well go check and see if anyone else needs us," Sora suggested with a shrug. "Maybe see if we can catch up with Herc again along the way?"

Donald and Goofy both nodded in agreement to such a solid plan of action, however, before any of them could so much as make a move to enact it, they were distracted by a rather unexpected, rather alarming arrival instead. "Well, well… if it isn't Sora and the king's pawns…"

The trio shared a startled gasp as they all spun around, immediately on the defensive as they watched the pair of old foes emerge from a dark corridor. "Maleficent! Pete!" Sora exclaimed, instantly summoning his Keyblade as Donald and Goofy did the same with their own weapons against the dastardly duo. "Let me guess: you two are the reason the Heartless are here, aren't you?!"

"Certainly not," Maleficent denied evenly. "We've come to this world on _much _more important business than merely spreading mindless chaos."

"Oh yeah?" Sora asked suspiciously, still maintaining his offensive stance alongside his companions. "Like what?"

"That is absolutely _no _concern to _you_," the dark fairy rebuffed with a haughty scowl.

"Say, Maleficent…" Pete interjected with a smug, almost goading grin as he looked over to the trio. "I dunno about his sidekicks, but Kid Keyblader here looks way punier than the last time we saw him. I say we finish him off while we still can. It'd be a piece of cake for sure!"

Upon hearing such callous, almost cruel remarks, Sora said nothing, even though a large part of him did want to fiercely argue against them. But instead, he simply tightened his grip on his Keyblade and glared at the wicked duo firmly, trying his best not to come across as weak, even though he knew that's what they saw him as. He wondered how it was so apparently obvious to just about everyone, including even Maleficent and Pete, that his strength had been sapped to such an extensive degree. He could feel it, of course, in just how much of a struggle taking out what _should_ have been even minor foes seemed to be for him now, just how much even the tiniest battles seemed to tire him out, just how much he was seeming to fall behind when he _should_ have stood strong. So how then, was literally everyone else able to see that he wasn't even _half _the Keyblade wielder he _knew _he could be anymore too?

"Waste no time with the boy," Maleficent said dismissively just before Donald or Goofy could say anything to Sora's defense. "He's inconsequential, as are his companions. We have a far more pressing matter to attend to."

For a moment, Pete was admittedly confused by this, until he happened to remember why they had journeyed to this world in the first place. "Oh yeah! We gots to find that black box!"

"How many times do I have to tell you to be silent, you fool?!" Maleficent snapped harshly before her henchman could get another word out. Her anger was still just as apparent as she turned back towards the trio, her longstanding disdain for them apparent through her expression alone. "As for you three: we shall meet again… when I have time for such trifles…"

And with that, the dark fairy turned to leave through the darkness from whence she came, though Pete did linger behind for just a moment more to taunt the Keybearer one more time. "Yeah, and you better get your act together before then! Later, twerps!"

"Wait!" Sora shouted, hurrying after the pair with the intent of putting a stop to whatever their unknown schemes were. Though of course, before he could reach them, their shadowy portal disappeared, leaving the trio alone and in the dark about whatever it was they could be up to.

With Pete and Maleficent both finally gone, Sora finally let out the disgruntled sigh he had been holding in for quite some time now. Neither Donald nor Goofy had to ask where they young companion's sudden bout of melancholy was coming from, but it still certainly concerned them both all the same.

"Sora?" Donald spoke up first, his tone fretful, especially as he overheard Sora sigh once more. Even so, the Keybearer was quick to turn to the pair with a small, halfhearted smile, one that neither of them really bought.

"I-it's fine," he said, though he didn't make eye contact with either of them as he did. "I can take it."

"Garwsh, it sure don't sound like it," Goofy said knowingly. "Did Pete sayin' those mean things bother ya?"

"N-no!" Sora protested, crossing his arms and glaring away. "Like I said, I'm fine! I _can _take it!"

"Don't worry!" Donald reassured as encouragingly as he could. "You're gonna get stronger!"

"Yeah! We know you!" Goofy added just as heartily. "You _can _take it!"

"That's what I said!" Sora snapped, suddenly quite frustrated with the pair. After all, it was bad enough that their foes were going around calling him out for his newfound weakness, but for his own companions to be effectively talking down to him like this? It was more than a bit embarrassing and a bit annoying to say the least, even despite their kind intentions. "Ugh, can we just… stop talking about this already?" he sighed once more as he averted the duo's surprised looks over his outburst. "We still have people we need to help, remember?"

Donald and Goofy couldn't help but share a worried glance as Sora pressed his way past them, his expression bitter and his hands clenched into tight fists as he continued on ahead. Neither of them could really blame him for being so upset, but they were rather perplexed by the fact that their open encouragement had done basically nothing to help him this time when it usually did the trick. Of course, they both wanted to do whatever they could to support their young companion, just as they always had. But this was an issue that neither the captain nor the magician knew how to solve, a problem that was plaguing the two of them almost as much as it was plaguing Sora himself. And for as much as Donald and Goofy both wanted to help, they both fretfully realized that all they could really do, at least for now, was to stand by their young companion's side, no matter what might come their way.

* * *

The rest of the trio's trip through Thebes was, unsurprisingly, a perilous one. Sure enough, they managed to find and save several still-straggling townsfolk and escort them out of harm's way. The Heartless and the town's own crumbling infrastructure provided plenty of obstacles all their own, of course, as the trio dodged fire, falling pillars, and the shadowy monsters alike. While they did their best to try to avoid the Heartless altogether to save precious time, the few occasions in which they were forced to engage in combat against them were far from smooth encounters.

The creatures were fierce and plentiful, and with the trio already somewhat out of sync with each other as they were, fighting them only seemed to bring them more harm than good. For as many Heartless as they seemed to take down, the more hits they seemed to take, particularly for Sora, who was still clearly lagging behind despite his best efforts to get ahead. What made matters worse, however, was that he more or less outright refused any direct assistance from either Donald or Goofy whenever they offered it, save for the occasional bout of healing here and there to keep things going. For all intents and purposes, it seemed clear that the Keybearer was determined to prove to both of them and perhaps even to himself that his strength wasn't completely gone after all. A mission that didn't seem to working out that well as Sora only seemed to be running himself more and more ragged with each and every battle, though whenever either Donald or Goofy urged him to slow down, he either ignored them or stubbornly rebuffed them with clear, continued anger. But even so, despite his mounting frustration and his obvious exhaustion, the Keybearer pressed on ahead relentlessly, all in the hopes that his hard work would somehow get him past the weakness that he had no idea how to overcome otherwise.

Still, eventually, the trio managed to make it through most of Thebes' rubble-laden, burning streets to end up in a space relatively close to the square where they had started. They were more than prepared to head back there in the hopes of meeting up with Hercules again, though it quickly became apparent that their attention was needed elsewhere as a rather large building—a temple to be exact—trembled violently right as they were passing by it. The trio only needed to exchange a brief nod of confirmation before they rushed into the lofty temple, only to not only find the hero they were looking for, but plenty of trouble surrounding him as well.

The temple had already fallen apart significantly, with flames and rubble filling its once pristine, sacred space. A few civilians had made an attempt to take up refuge there, but it was all for naught as the entire building seemed to be on the verge of collapse altogether. In fact, the only thing keeping it all from falling apart, as close as it was to that point, was none other than Hercules himself as he stood, strong yet struggling to hold the temple's final, integral support beam from falling on them all.

"Herc!" Sora exclaimed, instantly alarmed to see the hero in such a plight.

"S-Sora!" Hercules called back as much as he was able to, even as the temple shook once again. It was clear that neither the hero nor the building would be able to hold out for too much longer, which was why the trio didn't hesitate to hurry forward to help in any way they could. "H-hurry! We have to save these people!" Hercules ordered, his voice strained as he pushed back hard against the weight of the pillar he was holding up.

"Right!" Sora nodded as Donald and Goofy hurried ahead to pull the townsfolk out of immediate danger so they could begin escorting them out of the temple. "We'll be right back to help-" The Keybearer cut himself off as matters suddenly went from bad to much, much worse. The temple shuddered once again, only this time, the quake came as the direct result of the horde of Heartless that happened to materialize directly in between the hero and the trio with the intent of causing even more destruction.

"Ok, _seriously_?!" Sora exclaimed, exasperated as he summoned his Keyblade for the oncoming fray. "I swear, Heartless have the _worst _timing!"

"C'mon, Sora!" Donald urged as him and Goofy did their best to keep the terrified townsfolk calm while still inching their way past the Heartless and towards the door. "We gotta get these people out of here!"

"Then go ahead and get them out already!" Sora retorted rather sharply as he turned back towards the struggling hero. "Herc, can you hold the building?"

"N-no problem!" Hercules assured with the most genuine grin he could muster, even despite the circumstances.

"Good," Sora smiled back as he took up a determined, offensive stance against the encroaching creatures. "Then _I'll _handle the Heartless!"

"_What_?!" Donald and Goofy both gasped upon hearing such a risky plan, both of them completely adamant against it from the start.

"Sora, you can't take on that many all by yourself!" Goofy exclaimed worriedly as he shielded the group of civilians from a fiery attack.

"Let us help you!" Donald added a bit harsher, making his disapproval for the Keybearer's recklessness clear.

"You guys are busy!" Sora called back as he landed a steady hit on one of the Heartless. "Just get those people to safety, ok? I'll be fine on my own!"

"But Sora-" Goofy tried one more attempt at dissuading their young companion, only to be swiftly cut off.

"I said, I'll be _fine_!" Sora practically shouted, clearly set off by their doubts as he rammed his Keyblade into yet another Heartless out of sheer anger alone. Donald and Goofy were clearly startled by his severe manner, and as a result of it, they knew: there'd be no arguing with him, not on something like this.

And so, as much as they didn't like the idea of leaving the Keybearer alone at a time like this, the duo did as he said anyway, taking advantage of the distraction he was providing them with to skirt around the Heartless with the endangered civilians following right behind them. All the while, Sora forced himself to remain steady and alert, running on adrenaline more than anything else as he took the marauding creatures head-on. For the most part, he seemed to be holding his own, landing plenty of strong hits on the Heartless in relatively fast succession. Of course, the Keybearer really couldn't accredit his current success to grit alone, for throughout the entire battle, he had been quietly reassuring himself, knowing that it was the most he could do to keep himself from faltering anymore than he already had.

"I can do this…" Sora whispered to himself as he slashed through one of the Heartless, miraculously defeating it altogether. Of course, several more appeared to take its place, but the Keybearer refused to let that phase him as he kept on fighting, occasionally sparing the briefest glance over at Hercules, who was certainly doing his part to hold everything else together on his end. "I can do this," Sora told himself, a bit louder this time as he narrowly blocked a ball of fire with the broad side of his Keyblade. He retaliated swiftly by lashing out at the Heartless that had sent it, tearing through its shadowy form with a single deft swing. It was enough to give the Keybearer some much-needed confidence as he kept himself going, not even noticing as Donald and Goofy successfully finished escorting the civilians out and away from the temple as he kept up his kinetic pace. Though Sora knew he still had a ways to go before he returned to anywhere close to where he had been before the Mark of Mastery, he couldn't help but hope that fighting fearlessly and passionately like this would eventually be what would get him back to where he knew he needed to be.

That is, until everything inevitably fell apart.

It began when he positioned his Keyblade to cast water to douse the flaming Heartless surrounding him. He called upon the spell and, though somewhat dulled from the strength it should have had, it still did the trick in stunning several of the creatures close by. Sora resumed his usual position as he prepared to tackle the vulnerable group, running forward as he decided to repeat his ongoing mantra, knowing that it was serving him well thus far. "I can do-"

The Keybearer never had a chance to finish. For right as he was about to complete his confident statement, the waterlogged Heartless he was rushing into attack sparked back to fiery life completely out of nowhere. Sora didn't have any time to react outside of a startled gasp as the creature rammed into him, purposefully and violently, with enough force behind the heavy impact to send him flying towards the other side of the temple. He hit the far wall hard, and landed on the ground even harder, to the point that he was in something of a daze for what seemed like ages. Somewhere in the distance, he thought he heard Hercules (or maybe someone else?) call out for him, apparently alarmed, though he made no attempts to answer back. The crumbling temple around him and even the Heartless still gearing up for attack once more all seemed to constantly fade in and out thanks to his swimming senses as he lay on the floor, half out of it entirely. But, if there was any one thing he _was _fully aware of, it was heat; a vast, deep, pinching kind of heat that only seemed to worsen with each passing second as it sparked along parts of his torso and his upper arms, the very same places the Heartless had hit him at. And as the acrid stench of ashy smoke began to mingle with that heat, Sora, ironically enough, froze up completely as he realized exactly where they both were coming from.

A fire. But not just the fire plaguing the temple in general. No, it was him. _He _was on fire.

As shocked and mindlessly horrified as Sora was by this stark realization, his body refused to cooperate with him as he tried to will it to move to douse the painful flames, especially as the intense burning spiked across his right arm in particular. So instead, he simply let out a small, strangled cry, not even caring that the noise would no doubt attract the Heartless, just as long as the pain, the heat, the smoke, _everything _just _stopped _somehow.

And miraculously enough, stop is exactly what it did.

"_Water_!" Donald's rather fierce shout rang out across the crumbling temple, angry and protective as he cast his magic quickly. And yet, the spell wasn't for the Heartless, but rather for Sora, as a cool, refreshing torrent rained down upon him, soaking him to the bone but thankfully, _finally _putting out the fire. It did little to heal the rather significant burns left behind, but Sora was immensely grateful for it all the same as Donald helped prop him up against the wall while Goofy kept up the defensive against the Heartless.

"See!? We _told _you that you couldn't take them on all by yourself!" the magician fussed hotly. "And now look what happened! Why do you always have to be so… so _reckless_!?"

Sora flinched, both from the pain and from the severity of Donald's rant, knowing that though magician was quite prone to anger, he only ever got _this _angry on the worst of occasions. "I-I… I was just-"

"Save it!" Donald huffed, cutting him off sharply as he offered to help him stand. "There's no time! We gotta get you outta here so I can heal you the right way!" the magician urged, knowing that such a potent spell needed enough time to cast and that, with hasty, dangerous conditions such as these, that sort of time wasn't something they had at their disposal.

"W-wha… n-no!" Sora protested, weakly rising to stand on his own as he leaned against the wall for support. "We… we can't go! W-we gotta…" he paused to let out a small groan of agony as he pressed his free hand against his scorched shoulder. "W-we have to stay and help Herc!"

"N-no, you don't!" Hercules shouted from his spot on the other side of the temple. Despite the immense burden he was struggling to maintain, his expression was stern as he looked to the trio, even as his knees began to buckle under the weight pressed against him. "D-Donald, Goofy! Get Sora out of here and fix him up! I-I can handle this!"

"You heard him!" Goofy agreed as he rushed to help Donald support Sora so they could escort him out, since it was clear the Keybearer was in no condition to walk out on his own as injured as he was. "Its time for us to go!"

"B-but we can help!" Sora protested as he tried pulling away from his companions to stand on his own. It was a short-lived effort, however, as the Keybearer was quick to collapse to his knees as unsteady and lightheaded as he currently was. Pain sparked across the burn on his shoulder once more as he used his arms to catch himself, but even still, he stifled a cry of anguish so he could plead with the heavily-labored hero once more. "I—_we_… we _want _to help! P-please, Herc, you gotta let me, I-I mean _us_-"

"I-I said _no_, Sora!" Hercules chastised, though even still he spared the injured Keybearer a sympathetic glance before he let out another strained groan. "Y-you just gotta trust me on this… ok?"

"B-but…" Sora began quietly, desperately even. "But I-"

"That's enough!" Donald shouted furiously as he grabbed the Keybearer by his uninjured arm.

"We gotta amscray before this whole place falls apart!" Goofy urged as he went to Sora's other side, his manner filled with concern to balance out the magician's fury.

"We _can't_!" the Keybearer groaned, trying his hardest to pull away from the pair as they began essentially dragging him towards the door.

"Sora, stop fighting us on this!" Donald snapped fiercely. "We're trying to save you!"

"I-I don't _need _to be saved!" Sora argued as he resorted to thrashing to try and get out of his companion's steady hold, though even so, it didn't work.

"W-well, right now, ya kinda do," Goofy countered rationally, though even so, the Keybearer wasn't having it, especially as they neared the threshold of the temple. "Just sayin'…"

"Why?" Sora shot back, glaring fiercely over his shoulder at the pair. If either of them had stopped to return the glance, then they might have spotted a certain glint, the slightest discoloration in his eyes that would have likely made them stop dead in their tracks. But for as much of a rush as they were in to escape the crumbling temple as they were, that flash of warning yellow went unnoticed. For now at least. "Because I'm not 'strong enough' to save myself!? Because I'm too _weak_?!"

"S-Sora…" Goofy began, exchanging a rather uneasy glance with Donald as they finally slipped past the temple doors and into the yard in front of it. Out of the frying pan, and yet apparently still not out of the fire, even as they let their injured, angry young companion go.

"T-that's just what _everybody _thinks anymore, isn't it?!" Sora asked harshly, his pent-up frustrations all starting to pour out of him, the floodgates pried opened by both pain and doubt. "It… its not even my fault that all my strength is gone, but everyone just _loves _to act like it is!"

"S-Sora!" Donald cautioned as the Keybearer slowly began to pick himself up off the ground, even despite his still very-pressing burns.

Sora largely ignored both of his companions as he stood, his legs shaking along with the rest of his body really, from both ongoing agony and incensed rage. "B-but what _nobody _wants to see is that I'm _trying_!" he shouted, more to himself than anyone else as he turned to face the quaking temple again with renewed resolve. "I'm _trying _to get stronger! But no matter _what _I try to do, its just… _never _good enough!"

"Sora-" Goofy reached towards their young companion in an attempt at comforting him, only to be completely denied as the Keybearer took an unsteady step forward, relentlessly staring down the horde of Heartless still swarming about in the violently trembling temple just a few feet away.

"But I don't care…" he said, his tone absolutely rigid as he somehow managed to summon his Keyblade, even despite his unattended wounds. "Because I'm gonna do it anyway. I'm _going _to get stronger, so that nobody—not you guys, not Riku, not Axel or the king or _anyone else _will ever have to save me _ever _again!"

"Sora!" both Donald and Goofy shouted in alarm as they noticed something that their companion, in all his intense frustration, didn't. Before Sora could so much as even take another step, the pair grabbed him once again, jerking him back hard and pulling him out of the way just in the nick of time.

For almost exactly as they did, something within the temple finally snapped: the support beam, the thinning thread keeping the practically decimated building together slammed down into the structure's interior. And, the moment it did, everything else fell apart along with it. Goofy rushed to cover his companions with his shield as they all fell to the ground from the resounding quake, thick dust flying up from every direction as the building before them began to crumble to pieces. It began slowly, a few pillars toppling over, bricks and mortar coming undone, but all too quickly the destruction unfolded in a devastating torrent.

And, in what seemed like seconds, the entire temple collapsed completely… with Hercules still trapped inside.

* * *

**Ohoho cliffhanger! Well, sorta, I mean we all know that Herc will be totally fine since, ya know, he's a god and everything, but Sora, Donald, and Goofy don't! So yeah that'll lead to some interesting stuff next time around (which I promise is bound to be a good bit more interesting than this was! Anyway, if ya liked what you read, don't forget to REVIEW, please! I love reading what you all have to say about the story so far, so I'm looking forward to seeing even more comments from here on out! Until next time! :) **


	6. Chapter 5: Go the Distance

_AN-Heyooo! Back with another chapter! This one is... interesting, to say the least. I certainly like the first half of it more than its latter half but ehhhh whatcha gonna do when ya basically gotta sum up a bunch of gameplay? Anyway, there are inklings in here of things that are important for the rest of the fic, so I'd say pay close attention to it all the same. And with that outta the way, I'd say let's get started!_

* * *

_Chapter 5: Go the Distance _

_I'll be there someday, I can go the distance  
I will find my way if I can be strong  
I know every mile will be worth my while  
When I go the distance, I'll be right where I belong_

The temple's stark, dramatic collapse rattled just about all of Thebes from the ground up, sending perhaps the most violent of tremors yet rippling through the city streets. Just about everyone felt it, from the families bunkering down in their homes in the hopes that the ongoing torrent of destruction wouldn't find them there, to the stray stragglers running from the rampaging flames to find some sort of shelter or refuge, to even Maleficent and Pete as they kept their search for the mysterious black box going.

With few bystanders around to stop them, the wicked pair had taken to tearing up one of Thebes' usually scenic gardens, acting on Hades' tip that the prize they were looking for might be somewhere nearby. The dark fairy stood apace from the messy hole her henchman was hastily digging, just one of several marring the garden's once pristine stony grounds. However, this work was soon interrupted by the hefty earthquake that sent the entire city shuddering, inevitably sending Pete falling flat on his face amidst the dirt he was digging up, much to his frustrated exasperation.

"Hey! What's the big idea!?" the henchman snapped as he popped his head out of the whole angrily, shaking the dirt off his shoulders. "That there rumble had to've been the biggest one yet! Don'cha think we should check it out?"

"No," Maleficent rejected bluntly, almost boredly even. "Whatever senseless rampage Hades is inflicting upon this singular world is none of our concern. What we're after will ensure us the power to spread my domain to other worlds on a far grander scale than a mere petty coup such as his."

"Hmph, so you keep sayin'…" Pete grumbled as he turned back to his ongoing work. "Are you sure this box with the Book of Prophecies is even for reals? I think that dingbat in black was pullin' your leg."

"Be quiet and dig, you imbecile," the dark fairy scowled impatiently. "I must find that Book of Prophecies and make it my own. His was the only clue we have. We cannot afford to dismiss it without a thorough investigation."

"I'm just sayin'," Pete continued sullenly. "A shot in the dark ain't gonna get us any closer to—oh!"

"What is it?" Maleficent quickly turned to her henchman at his sudden change of tune. "Have you found something? Show it to me at once, fool!"

"Yes sir-eey!" Pete exclaimed, proudly holding up a small chest with a skull acting as its lock. "This has _gotta _be that Pandora's Box Hades mentioned!"

Whatever interest the dark fairy had show before immediately fell as she looked over the box her henchman was presenting her with. "Leave it," she said staunchly, turning her nose up at the chest.

"W-what?" Pete asked, crestfallen. "After all that diggin'?"

"That is _not _the box which I desire," Maleficent said coldly. "We are finished with this world. Come."

"Aww…" the henchman sighed, disappointed as he tossed the box back into the hole where he had found it before hurrying after the dark fairy. Maleficent had all but conjured up a dark corridor so they could take their leave, yet before stepping through it, she suddenly stopped shot, much to Pete's confusion.

"Hold a moment…" she mused, turning back around with a hint of careful scrutiny in her tone. "Do you feel that?"

"Uh… what?" Pete asked blankly. "Ya mean the wind?"

"No, you buffoon," Maleficent scowled before stepping forward again in deep concentration. "Its darkness. Deep, pure, unconcentrated darkness…"

"What, like the sorta darkness the Heartless are made of?" Pete asked, still not following.

"No… this darkness is… different…" the dark fairy said, still clearly captivated by it. "I can sense it; its _far _more powerful than that of any mere Heartless. And most interesting of all… is that it seems to be radiating from a source of _light_, of all things…" She took pause once more, seeming to ponder over this oddity before a small, intrigued grin crossed her features. "Perhaps our time in this world is not quite finished after all…"

* * *

Even after the temple's uproarious fall finally stilled, the dust and smoke stirred up by it still seemed to be everywhere. Though the musky fog concealed the devastation somewhat, it did nothing to change or undo what had been done, something that Sora, Donald, and Goofy all felt just as heavily as the newfound silence surrounding them. The trio didn't make much of an effort to break that silence as they all sat in apt shock before the ruins of the temple, the painful realization that Hercules was pinned, or more accurately _crushed _beneath those very ruins hitting them all at the same exact time.

Donald and Goofy were the first to shakily rise to stand, both of them remaining cautious as they approached the fallen temple to check for any signs of the legendary hero amidst the wreckage. "Hercules!" Donald called as loudly as he could. "A-Are you ok?!"

"Hey, Herc! Can ya hear us!?" Goofy shouted, just as concerned. The pair paused for a moment, waiting and watching for any sort of shift in the rubble that would herald a response from the hero. However, as seconds began to pass into minutes without any such sign, the gravity of the situation became all too clear. "G-gwarsh, fellas…" Goofy muttered sadly, removing his hat out of respect for their supposedly fallen friend. "I don't think he's-"

"_Why_?" Donald and Goofy were quick to turn around to face Sora upon hearing this, both of them taken aback by just how intense his tone was. He was still sitting on his knees, his burns still quite apparent across his arms as his hands dug into the grass below him. His expression was tight and agonized and most of all _angry_, focused on neither of his companions but rather at the ground in front of him as he continued just as harshly. "Why didn't you just let me help him?!"

"…Aw, Sora…" Goofy began fretfully as both him and Donald turned back to the Keybearer with the intent of comforting him. Comfort that, as upset over the unnecessary loss of such a good friend, Sora completely refused to simply accept.

"If you guys had just let me stay and fight those Heartless, this never would have happened!" he exclaimed hotly, finally glaring up at the two. "I could have bought Herc enough time to get out!"

"And _you _would have been crushed instead!" Donald argued back rationally before reigning his own anger back a bit. "You were hurt; you're _still _hurt! We had to get you out of there before things got any worse!"

"Well, it's way too late for that since things just got _much_, much worse!" Sora snapped bitingly.

"Aw, c'mon, fellas," Goofy attempted to interject upon seeing Donald twitch with incoming anger in response to such a fierce remark. "We shouldn't be fightin' at a time like thi-"

"We were just trying to save your life!" the magician cut the captain off as he addressed the Keybearer sternly. "Why do you have to have such a problem with that?!"

"Because I never _asked _you to!" Sora protested defiantly. "I can do things on my own! I don't _need _you guys to always rush to my rescue!"

"Well _sometimes _you do!" Donald countered. "If _you're _not gonna take care of yourself, then _someone _has to! We told Master Yen Sid we would keep an eye on you, and that's _exactly _what we're gonna do, whether you like it or not!"

Sora was more than prepared to keep this argument going, however, before he could get another word in edgewise out, the temple ruins finally began to rumble once more. The trio quickly turned back towards them with a shared gasp of surprise, each of them watching with wide eyes in the hopes that Hercules would somehow emerge from the rubble unscathed. However, what did end up popping out of the structure's devastated remains was just about the exact opposite of the legendary hero, much to the trio's immense disappointment.

In sudden, furious succession, a multitude of Heartless, the very same flaming creatures that had been in the temple at the time of its collapse, burst out of its wreckage, clearly more incensed than ever before as they landed down before the trio, ready to attack anything and everything in their path. "T-they're back?" Goofy asked, aptly alarmed as he prepped his shield for the fight ahead.

"Of _course_, _they'd_ survive!" Donald huffed, frustrated as he brandished his staff. "Sora! Go find somewhere to take cover! I'll heal your burns when we're done; and _no _arguing with us about it this time!"

Surprisingly enough, this time Sora _didn't _argue, though he made no effort to move, even as his companions engaged the Heartless in combat. Instead, he simply stayed where he was, watching the starting battle and growing angrier and angrier the more he realized just how _unfair_ every single part of it all was. It was unfair that they hadn't had enough time to help Hercules get out of the temple alongside everyone else. It was unfair that these mindless, vicious Heartless _had _survived when someone as noble and brave as the legendary hero seemingly hadn't. But what Sora quickly realized that the most unfair thing of all was that he couldn't do anything about any of it. Not only was it too late to help the hero now, but even if it wasn't, that didn't change the fact that he was still heavily injured, still weak and worn from his loss of strength and power as a whole. And to make matters worse was the fact that Donald and Goofy, his own companions and friends, seemed to be the ones most intent on keeping him out of the fight. He understood that their protectiveness came from a place of concern, but when push came to shove in a time such as this, Sora could only find such concern frustrating, suffocating even. They were limiting him, holding him back from working towards the strength he knew he had to regain, and the more he thought about their doubts in him, in _everyone's _doubts really, the more upset, the more _outraged _the Keybearer became.

Donald shouted out another authoritative demand for him to flee the scene of the battle, though Sora hardly heard it as lost in his own furious thoughts as he was. Though his thoughts weren't the only thing distracting him as a sudden, sharp, bitter chill suddenly surged through his entire body, spiking at his heart in particular. The Keybearer let out a small hiss of pain through his teeth as he placed a gentle hand over his inexplicably-aching chest, only to glance down to find a sight that was much more alarming by far. His entire hand was covered in darkness, a black, inky shade of shadow that seemed to be rising up his arm at an unsettlingly steady pace. In fact, that same darkness seemed to be creeping up the rest of his body as well, painting his clothes and skin in its nightmarish pallor as it made an obvious beeline for both his mind and his heart. Sora recognized this horrific transformation well, though it was a far cry from how it usually felt, especially as his senses, his very mind altogether began to fade under such an immense pall of darkness. In fact, it acted so fast in forcing itself upon him that he had no chance to wonder how or why this was happening; instead, all he could do was panic. "D-Donald! Goofy!" he choked, reaching out a shaking, shadowy hand to the duo still battling the Heartless. "I-I… s-something's wrong! I'm… I-I can't-"

The Keybearer cut himself off with a sharp, anguished cry as the darkness tightened its reigns around his heart. Donald and Goofy only barely managed to turn back around to face Sora just in time to watch the shadows fully overtake him. The rampaging Heartless were all but forgotten as the pair rushed forward to their transforming companion, fearful as they ever were whenever this sort of dangerous shift took place, however, as soon as it was complete, they were quick to realize that this new form he had taken on was quite unlike anything they had witnessed before.

Indeed, it was still somewhat familiar: he was still drenched in absolute darkness from head to toe, not a speck of light to be found anywhere save for his eyes. They were like bright, piercing full moons, wide and large as they seemed to stare at nothing and everything all at once. His fingertips had turned into long, spindly, pointed claws and though his mouth seemed to have disappeared entirely, he still let out a series of low, rumbling, rather feral growls as he clamored upright into a hunched, almost animalistic stance. However, what set this form apart from the past was the Keyblade that materialized within his clawed grasp, a weapon he had never been able to utilize like this before; there was no doubt it was still the Kingdom Key, though much like Sora himself, it was enshrouded with shadow to the point that only its silhouette was recognizable. Donald and Goofy practically froze up in fear as their darkened young companion looked between the two of them with his glowing, emotionless eyes, seemingly recognizing neither of them, even as they made a shaky attempt at communicating with him.

"S-Sora?" Goofy ventured first, albeit quite apprehensively as both of them kept a safe distance from the Keybearer, knowing just how dangerous and unpredictable he could be like this. "A-are ya still-"

The captain was succinctly cut off as Sora suddenly snapped his glance away from the pair and towards the crowd of Heartless still bouncing around behind them. With fast, erratic movements, he suddenly lunged forward, nearly knocking his companions over in the process as he ran towards the creatures almost on all fours, Keyblade still in hand all the while. And then, with a ferocity that outright terrified both Donald and Goofy as they stood on the sidelines watching, Sora tore into the Heartless without any sort of mercy whatsoever, clawing and keying at them with vicious, deadly attacks. His monstrous growls and hisses were just as apparent as the tendrils of darkness leaking off of him as he cut through the once menacing group of creatures, ignoring their flames in favor of extinguishing their existences altogether. In a way, it certainly did seem that, in however mindless this furious rampage might have been, Sora was enacting some sort of retaliation against these Heartless, both for injuring him before and for surviving the temple's collapse while Hercules hadn't. Which was why, with the superior strength the darkness allotted him, it only took him a mere matter of minutes to clear the creatures out, leaving not so much as a single one of them alive in the wake of such a violent outburst.

With the last of the Heartless finally gone, Donald and Goofy were more than prepared to let out a shared sigh of relief, though that sigh was something they held off on the moment they noticed something was extremely off. Namely, the fact that Sora hadn't returned to normal yet, even though the battle was over. Instead, he remained entrenched in darkness, his former aggression replaced with an apparent sense of aimlessness as he stood hunched over, glancing around idly for something to attack. The duo exchanged a nervous glance as they hesitantly decided to approach him, hoping that they'd be able to bring their young companion back to his right mind, even if they had no idea how.

"S-Sora?" Donald began first, garnishing the wayward Keybearer's attention. He looked towards his companions with wide curious eyes, thankfully showing no violent intent as he simply stared at them blankly. "C-can… can you hear us?"

Sora simply tilted his head at this as if he was confused, much to the pair's growing concern. "Uh… maybe he's just havin' a hard time understandin' us?" Goofy guessed with a frown. "Hey, Sora, can ya try giving us a nod if you understand what we're sayin' to ya?"

The Keybearer did no such thing as he instead remained stationary, leaning forward slightly though still not making any sort of effort to communicate with his worried companions, not that he very well could even if he wanted to in this form to begin with. "W-what are we gonna do?!" Donald exclaimed, aptly fretful. "He's never been… l-like this for so long before! What if he _stays_ stuck that? What are we supposed to do then?!"

"Aw, don't worry, Donald," Goofy reassured as encouragingly as he could, though upon sparing a brief glance over at Sora again, he couldn't deny that the very same prospect brought him just as much dread. "This is Sora we're talkin' about here! He's not gonna let a little darkness take over his heart for too long!"

"Y-yeah!" the magician perked up as he forced himself to believe that. After all, the alternative was much too grim to even think about. "C'mon, Sora! You gotta snap out of it!"

"That's right!" Goofy added just as firmly. The pair worked past their nerves so they could each place a hand on their young companion's shadow-streaked shoulders. The sudden touch was enough to elicit a distrustful glare, accompanied by a small warning growl out of Sora, but surprisingly, he made no move to attack as he watched the pair carefully as they continued their appeal. "Ya need to come back to us!" the captain said with a bright smile. "We're a team after all, aren't we?"

"And you're the one who keeps this team together!" Donald chimed in confidently, noticing as the dark aura radiating off of the Keybearer was finally starting to diminish somewhat. "We're sorry about what happened before, but we just don't wanna lose you! To something like… _this_, or to anything else!"

"But we're not worried anymore," Goofy assured, tightening his grip on the Keybearer's shoulder supportively. "'Cause we know just how strong your heart is, Sora! Heck, that's somethin' we've known all along, and so have you!"

"Which is why you're _not_ going to just let the darkness have it!" Donald proclaimed, almost overwhelmed with relief when Sora finally closed his otherwise unblinking yellow eyes. "Right?"

The pair finally paused, waiting to see if their uplifting rhetoric worked. And sure enough, it did as the shadows settled on Sora finally began to lift, as if he had stepped out of the darkness of night and back into the midday sun as his usual colors and vibrancy returned. And with it, came the return of his own consciousness, though it was somewhat slow to fully reawaken as he let out a small, tired groan as his eyes—thankfully back to their usual deep blue—fluttered open just as he collapsed to his knees before the pair. Donald and Goofy still didn't remove their hands from his shoulders, even as he looked up at the two of them, his expression weary and disoriented as he tried to catch his lost breath. "D-Donald? Goofy?" he asked, his voice soft and sedated and filled with confusion. "W-wha-"

"Sora!" the duo cheered joyfully, not hesitating to engulf the unprepared Keybearer in an unexpected hug. As a result, the entire trio toppled over into the grass, Donald and Goofy laughing brightly all the while, and though it took a moment, Sora slowly joined in their levity, even if he largely had no idea where it was coming from.

However, unbeknownst to the group amidst their bout of allayed celebration, was the pair of figures standing on one of Thebes' higher structures above them, a pair that had just observed everything that had happened firsthand. "Well then…" Maleficent smirked, clutching her staff as she kept her gaze focused on the trio below. "It seems as though I truly _have _underestimated that boy in the past…"

"Boy, I'll say!" Pete chimed in, absolutely baffled. "What was up with all that darkness coverin' him anyway? I thought he was supposed'ta be one of them goodie-goods, all full o' light and whatnot."

"It would appear that his heart is not as 'full of light' as we had previously been led to believe…How… _fascinating_…" the dark fairy mused, her grin widening as a malevolent new idea came to her. "Perhaps what we're _truely _searching for isn't that far out of our reach after all…"

"Huh?" Pete glanced around in confusion. "But I don't see any black boxes 'round here…"

"Forget about the black box for now," Maleficent said simply.

"Wha-?!" the henchman exclaimed, flabbergasted. "B-but we just spent the past several days lookin' all over for it! How are we just supposed'ta forget about it like it ain't nothing'!?"

"Because, you oaf," the dark fairy said sharply as she summoned a dark corridor for them to take their leave. "If all goes according to plan, then not only will the box fall into our hands, but so too will each and every world in our path."

"Oh yeah?" Pete inquired, curious. "And how do ya see that?"

Maleficent took pause before entering her dark corridor to take her leave, casting another brief, intentful glance down at the trio on the ground, or more specifically, the Keybearer among them. "By plunging a noble heart into the depths of darkness and despair…"

And just like that, the duo left, still completely unnoticed by the trio below as they made progress in recuperating from their most recent harrowing experience. Now that they actually had some time to spare, Donald made sure to finally heal Sora's still persistent burns while both him and Goofy fretted over their young companion, even despite the fact that the Keybearer himself was still somewhat out of it.

"What happened to you?!" Donald fussed, though concern clearly filled his tone as he finished casting cure. "Why didn't you go back to normal after the Heartless were gone like you usually do when you get like that?!"

"Why didn't I… what?" Sora asked with a frown as he placed a hand against his somewhat aching head. "What are you talking about? When I get like what?"

Donald and Goofy exchanged a worried glance at this, both of them taking on the same sort of confusion their young companion was showing. "Uh… don'tcha remember any of what just happened, Sora?" the captain asked patiently.

Sora paused, his brow furrowing in deep thought for a moment before he ultimately shook his head. "No, the last thing I can remember is…" he hesitated, partially out of not wanting to admit the truth, though for the sake of figuring out what was going on, he begrudgingly did anyway. "I-is feeling angry and… and hurt. And then, w-when I looked down at my hand it was covered in-" He cut himself off with a gasp, his eyes widening with the almost sickening realization of what had happened. "D-darkness… Oh no… No, no, no, no, no, _please _tell me I didn't-"

"Y-you did…" Donald and Goofy confirmed in grave unison, both of them averting the poignant fear starting to well up in Sora's eyes as he looked between the two of them desperately.

"B-but on the bright side, ya did get rid of all the Heartless!" Goofy tried to reassure their young companion, especially as he let out a loud groan and buried his face into his hands out of shame.

"But on the bad side, we almost weren't able to get you to snap out of it…" Donald muttered apprehensively.

"I can't believe this…" Sora huffed as he rose to stand and pace out of frustration, largely with himself this time more than anyone else. "How do I just not remember _any _of this!? Usually when this happens, I'm able to at least feel _some _of what goes on, but this time it was like I totally blacked out! What's going on with me lately?!"

"M-maybe it has somethin' to do with you losin' your strength?" Goofy ventured a guess, though it was a rather arbitrary one at best.

"Ugh, why wouldn't _that _surprise me?" Sora asked with an annoyed scowl as he crossed his arms. "And so much for trying to regain that strength; how am I supposed to do that if I can't even control something like this?"

"Aw, c'mon, Sora, you can't just give up now cause of one tiny thing like this," the captain encouraged with a small smile.

"That's right!" Donald readily agreed. "If one thing's for certain, its that whatever's going on, we'll figure it out, together!" To emphasize his point, the magician put his hand out, and Goofy readily placed his own on top of it. The pair kept up their reassuring grins as they looked to their upset young companion, who couldn't really stay that way for long as he finally decided to accept the support they were offering him this time.

"Right," Sora nodded with a smile of his own as his hand landed down on top of his companions'. "Together."

However, the trio barely had time to revel in their newfound solidarity before the ruins of the temple began to shift behind them yet again. In light of recent events, all three of them were on high alert as they turned beck to the fallen structure, their weapons in hand to take on whatever might emerge from it.

"What now?" Sora asked, slightly aggravated as he tightened his grip on his Keyblade. "_More _Heartless?"

"Wait a second…" Goofy said, squinting to see through the last of the settling dust to find a familiar silhouette walking out of it towards them. "That ain't no Heartless… T-that's-"

"Hercules!" the trio exclaimed in stunned, yet delighted unison as the legendary hero finally emerged from the wreckage. He looked no worse for wear, a little dirty from the rubble, with a few scars and scratches here and there, but for the most part he was still as strong and sturdy as ever as he came out to meet the excited group with a broad, confident grin.

"Well, getting out of there took a _little _longer than I thought it would…" Hercules noted with a small chuckle.

"You're telling us!" Sora exclaimed with a small, incredulous laugh. "You scared us!"

"Eh, it was nothing," the hero shrugged before pulling off an impressive flex. "That's what _these _are for."

Despite the circumstances, this bout of good humor, coupled with the immense relief they shared at simply seeing Hercules alive and well again was enough to elicit a full, hearty bout of laughter from the trio. However, this bout of levity unsurprisingly didn't last long as the group's attention was soon diverted by a dark corridor opening up only just a few feet away.

"Oh, wow! Very nice, full marks," the familiar freeshooter applauded sardonically as he stepped out of the dark portal. "And I'm not just talking about that smooth escape either."

No one paid much mind to what the Organization member might have meant by this remark as Sora, Donald, and Goofy all took up offensive stances against him. "Go away!" the magician shouted fiercely, in no mood to deal with any further foes after everything that they'd been through.

"No Organization!" Goofy added just as adamantly, ready to take up his shield at a moment's notice.

"You're Xigbar!" Sora exclaimed, far from pleased to see any member of the Organization after his last harrowing encounter with them, much less this particular one.

"And you've got a knack for pointing out the obvious, kid," Xigbar remarked, still smirking coyly as he approached the group. "All this altruism is giving me the warm and fuzzies. So then, does having a heart of light come with an extremely good insurance policy?"

"Ugh, just say what you mean for a change!" the Keybearer scowled, annoyed by how just about every member of the Organization always seemed to speak in riddles or circles.

"Oh, but I did though," the freeshooter shrugged. "No good will ever come from putting other people first. Anyone who does that usually ends up coming in dead _last. _It just makes sense when you really think about it."

"I don't think it does," Hercules spoke up, shaking his head in disagreement with such a cynical viewpoint. "I was able to save Meg's life because I was ready to risk my own. And because of that, we _both _made it out alive and together in the end."

"Because you have friends in high places, you mean," Xigbar countered dismissively. "Tricks like that don't fly for your average joe."

"And what do you know anyway?" Sora argued defiantly. "You weren't even there! If you were, you'd admire Herc's courage!"

"I don't admire one guy leaping into danger if it means someone else might have to jump in to save him," Xigbar rolled his visible eye. "You're all just lining up to lose out, dooming others to take the fall with ya. Oh, and you can spare me the usual party line. Yeah, hearts _are _powerful when they're connected. But if you put too much of that power in one place, some of those hearts might just end up breaking. _Unless…" _the freeshooter glanced back over his shoulder at the group, or more specifically, at Sora. "You were to _somehow _find a heart strong enough to hold it all in… But who am I kidding? A heart that strong doesn't exist…or _does _it?"

"Who cares?" Sora interjected, thoroughly irritated by this point. "Can't you just get to the point and get out of here already? It'd save us all a _lot _of time."

"Yeesh, so eager to see me go, aren't you?" Xigbar asked, raising a knowing eyebrow. "I expected at least a _little _better reception than this. Especially since I came all this way to offer you some pretty sound advice."

"Like we'd listen to any advice from _you_!" Donald huffed, aptly incensed.

"Yeah, knowing you, its probably just another trap or something," Sora agreed, sending the Organization member a suspicious glare.

"Look, I'm just trying to warn you that the game we're all playing here is about to change, big time," the freeshooter informed, still grinning all the while. "Still, Sora, that doesn't mean _you _should change. Accept the power you're given. Find the hearts joined to yours."

"Can't you take a hint?" Sora asked impatiently, all but ready to finally summon his Keyblade in the hopes that it'd get Xigbar to finally leave. "We already told you; we don't want or need your advice!"

"Ha! As if!" Xigbar scoffed, turning his back on the group as he began to walk away. "You don't have any choice but to follow this sweet little trail of bread crumbs. And at the end, you'll finally realize just what destiny has in store for you. In fact… your reward might be right around the corner. You're so close!"

And with that, before the Keybearer or any of his companions could so much as ask what the freeshooter meant by such vague remarks, Xigbar walked into the distant fog where he ended up disappearing into a dark corridor just like the one he had arrived in. A bout of confused silence rose up among the group as they silently pondered the freeshooter's cryptic "advice" to themselves. That is, until Sora voiced his undeniable confusion over what he'd just heard. "Hearts breaking?" he asked, more to himself than any of the others as he frowned almost fretfully. "Whose hearts?"

"Sora, don't let someone like him bother you," Hercules reassured steadily. "He's just trying to get under your skin 'cause he thinks he can. But we'll prove him wrong. We'll show him that our sacrifices _haven't_ been for nothing."

Despite Hercules' encouragement, Sora couldn't help but still be somewhat concerned by Xigbar's rather ominous statements. Though he was quick to put that concern aside, replacing it with a confident smile as he nodded in agreement with the hero's resolve. "You're right," he said, deciding to fully believe that fact himself rather than listen to what any member of the Organization had to say.

"Mm hm!" Goofy added enthusiastically. "Besides, we're already proof enough of that!"

"It's like we said before," Donald grinned just as boldly. "We're a team! When we're together, we can do anything!"

"Yeah!" Sora exclaimed, sharing their zeal. However, as the others all began to move on ahead with the intent of finishing their search of the city, he still stopped short to ponder over their brief, rather bizarre confrontation with the Organization member. Very few parts of what Xigbar had said seemed to make any actual sense, which wasn't that surprising given how cryptic and ominous those with the Organization tended to be with their monologues and speeches. Yet there was still one part of it all that left the Keybearer wondering whether this particular speech was just more empty, supposedly intimidating rhetoric or not. _"And at the end," _the freeshooter had said with a smile that easily conveyed that he knew _something _the rest of them didn't, though exactly what that something was, Sora hadn't the faintest clue. _"You'll finally realize just what destiny has in store for you. In fact, your reward might be right around the corner. You're so close!" _

"What reward…?" the Keybearer muttered to himself, trying to fathom what implications such a confusing statement was even supposed to carry. If it was any sort of reward the Organization intended on trying to offer to him, then of course, Sora knew he wanted absolutely _no _parts of it whatsoever. But if it happened to be something else altogether…?

Sora was quick to shake his head clear of such pointless thoughts. It didn't matter what "reward" Xigbar had spoke of was, especially when that reward, good or bad, might very well not even exist in the first place. As it was, it was probably just another trick, another lie and deception among countless others meant simply to lead him astray off his intended path. Which was why the Keybearer boldly decided to just ignore it all for the time being to rigidly stay on that path, hoping to seek his own kind of reward at the end of it all. Namely his lost strength to be regained, and the hearts of those so unfairly lost, all of which were waiting, no, _depending _on him.

And despite any mocking villain, soothsaying Organization member, or even the unseen darkness or hidden rage pressing against the doors of his own heart, Sora was determined to not let any of those wandering, waiting hearts down.

* * *

The rest of their sweep through Thebes was surprisingly smooth and speedy. Most of the townsfolk in peril had already been escorted out of the diminishing flames to safety, and the group wasted little time in rounding up the rest of the stragglers. Heartless still popped up in their path from time to time, but even their numbers were lower than before, their aggression lessened somewhat. In a way, it almost seemed as though Hades seemed to be shifting his focus away from the city entirely, something that didn't really surprise any of them. After all, the lord of the dead had sent the message of his immense power quite well in this attack on the town, but it was obvious that wasn't his end goal like apparent control of the entire cosmos seemed to be. However, the group didn't get a complete confirmation on this theory until they ended up circling back around to Thebes' central square, only to be met with a familiar flying steed and its pair of riders almost as soon as they arrived.

Pegasus touched down firmly right before Hercules and the trio, both Meg and Phil sharing allayed grins as they relayed the good news they had to share from their scouting from above. "Nice job, Wonderboy," Meg congratulated the hero warmly. "We checked the whole town. Looks like everyone's finally safe."

"That's great," Hercules said, letting out a sigh of relief that Sora, Donald, and Goofy all easily shared in on. "We did what we could to help."

"I'll say," Meg smirked, glancing up to address the entire group playfully. "Looks like you heroes have been busy little bees."

Sora, Donald, and Goofy all perked up at this, taking the praise proudly, even if Phil was quick to interject to detract it. "Eh, from what I saw while we were flyin' overhead, you three were _passable_, at best," the satyr remarked flippantly, though he did break out into a wry grin upon noticing the offended glances the trio sent his way. "Hey, I'm kiddin'! Ya did good. At least none of ya died, so that's definitely a plus in just about every book there is."

This quip was more than enough to get a laugh out of the entire group, though it was ultimately a short lived one as Pegasus let out a small, yet serious whicker, diverting everyone's attention towards Mount Olympus afar in the distance. "Oh, look…" Meg sighed wearily, noticing the fearful sight first. "More trouble…"

Trouble indeed summed the situation up well as everyone looked to the mountain towering high over the city. Usually, Mount Olympus's impeccably tall peak was awash in soft, fluffy clouds, clouds that obscured the glorious realm of the gods away from mortal eyes. However, now the clouds that swirled around that realm were black and stormy, marred by the occasional bolt of dark thunder to top off the sinister aura filling the very air itself.

"It's Hades…" Hercules scowled, not even having to think twice about where such darkness was coming from. "No wonder things have been quieter around here lately. He's going after the home of the gods."

Upon hearing this, the trio needed only to exchange a brief, determined glance, all three of them knowing that they hadn't backed down against Hades before and they certainly had no intentions of backing down against him this time. "Then let's go stop him!" Sora proclaimed, ready to do just that, even despite the apparent danger.

"Right," Hercules grinned, just as eager to put an end to the lord of the dead's twisted ambitions once and for all.

Knowing that the group had an important task ahead of them, Meg and Phil were quick to send them their best wishes and brief farewells before Pegasus whisked them off once more. And with that, they set off, hurrying onward towards the outskirts of town towards the path that would lead them back up the towering mountain ahead. They spared no time for breaks or distractions, knowing that time was of the essence in halting Hades' schemes as they began steadily making their way towards the summit. The Heartless started popping up more frequently with each cliff they scaled, but with heightened vigor and a renewed sense of purpose, the group took them on with stalwart gusto. After all, they were no longer on the defensive, simply trying to keep people safe from the rampaging creatures; now they were on the attack, hurrying to hit Hades where it hurt and nip his plans in the bud before they even had a chance to be fully realized. It was reinvigorating for all of them, to say the least, especially considering just how perilous and nearly deadly their time in the Thebes had been. But as they scaled Mount Olympus, they felt more eager, more united, perhaps even a bit stronger; ready to pit their noble team against whatever tricks and traps Hades might try to throw their way.

Of course, what he _did _actually intend on throwing their way was something much more immense than any of them could have expected.

The group had only made it about halfway up the mountain when the ground began to rumble once more, hardly an unusual phenomenon for any of them by now considering everything that had happened in Thebes. "This sure does feel familiar…" Goofy noted over the distant, unintelligible roars coming from the mountain's distant peak.

"Yeah, just like before," Sora agreed. "The only thing missing is Hades showing up to blow us off the mountain."

"This is getting worse by the minute…" Hercules mused, his manner quite serious as he kept his focus on the mountain's storm-obscured summit. "I hope I'm wrong, but my family may need me." Without wasting another second, the hero turned his sights to the sky and let out a loud, calling whistle. Pegasus soared in to respond to it, having already deposited Meg and Phil somewhere safe so he could race to his master's side if need be. "Sora, I'm gonna go fly ahead," Hercules said to the Keybearer as his winged steed touched down before him. "You've been a big help, but… leave the rest to me. Like I said, my family's counting on me; I shouldn't keep them waiting."

"Family?" Sora inquired curiously, having never heard the hero mention any sort of family members before.

"Yeah," Hercules grinned as he mounted Pegasus. "Dad's king of the gods." And with that and a simple wave of farewell, the hero took off, not realizing just how baffled his simple statement had left the trio in his wake.

"Whaaaat?!" Donald and Goofy exclaimed in unison as they exchanged an awed glance.

"H-his father is a _god_?" Sora asked just as incredulously. "But… wouldn't that mean _Herc _is a god too?!"

"I think it does…" the captain mused thoughtfully. "Ya know, it feels like this is something we should've found out a long time ago…"

"No wonder he's so strong!" the magician exclaimed. "That means he'll be ok on his own for sure. Won't he?"

"No," Sora shook his head. "Organization XIII's here. God or no god, he'll need our help dealing with them. And Hades too, for that matter."

"Good point," Goofy nodded firmly. "We gotta go!"

"Cause heroes never quit!" Donald emphasized as they all turned to face the peak before them once more.

Though Sora certainly agreed with his companions' noble sentiments, he didn't voice that agreement right away as he instead briefly thought back to the indirect advice that Hercules himself had offered him. Advice that the Keybearer was only really starting to understand the further along their journey progressed: _"Hm, that's tough… All I know is… that she was in trouble. Suddenly, I wanted to save her with all my heart…"_

"We fight with all our hearts…" Sora echoed the sentiment to himself softly, deciding to fully embrace that thought for himself. While thus far he'd had relatively little success in finding any viable, expedited way of regaining his lost strength, maybe that strength wasn't something he should have expected to come back to him in one fell swoop. Perhaps it was something that needed to be earned, regained over time through hard work and solid determination, both attributes the Keybearer had taken up before in order to build up that strength in the first place. Perhaps the way to bring it all back was exactly how the hero had said: by working, fighting with every ounce of resolve and courage his heart had to give. "C'mon!" Sora exclaimed to his companions, letting his newfound verve shine through has he began leading the way up the rest of the mountain. "Let's go show Hades what happens when he messes with the wrong heroes!"

* * *

Not wanting to leave Hercules without any backup for too long, the trio quickened the pace of their upward voyage to the peak. Whatever crowds of Heartless they encountered were either quickly dealt with or ignored altogether as they rushed past them, scaling the perilous mountain pass in the hopes of reaching the realm of the gods sooner rather than later. They could tell they were getting ever closer to their destination as the skies soon turned from bright blue to dark and stormy, rumbling with thunder as a torrential downpour began to spout from the dour clouds above. The rain was easy enough to ignore, however, the other elements brought about from Hades' Titans were a bit more of a challenge. The primary danger the trio faced the closer they got to the summit were rocks, heavy, crushing boulders tumbling down the cliffsides seemingly without end. It took some careful footwork and precise timing, but sure enough they managed to avert the rock Titan's projectiles and slip into the momentary safety of the enclosed mountain pass. The pass that led directly to the epicenter of the Titans' violent attack: the realm of the gods, Olympus itself.

Despite the storm raging on around it, Olympus was, to put it simply, absolutely immaculate. Its large golden gates led the trio to a radiant realm of sacred light, quite unlike any they had ever seen before. In absolute awe, Sora, Donald, and Goofy stepped foot into the divine domain, one that seemed to be entirely composed of sculpted clouds and grandiose golden structures as far as the eye could see. Needless to say it was a far cry from the damaged stony streets of Thebes or even the lush greenery of the mountain it capped of, something the trio unanimously noted as they tried to take it all in.

"Is this… Olympus?" Sora asked, still quite stunned by the drastic change of scenery.

"Gawrsh, it's amazing…" Goofy said rather quietly to maintain an air of reverence in such a hallowed place. However, if there was any group that cared about no such thing, it was the Heartless that showed up only seconds later. An entire army of shadowy, soldier-like figures materialized just a few feet away from the trio, fully armored and ready for battle. Fortunately, the trio was more than ready to take them on as they summoned their respective weapons, charging headfirst into the fray, this time, without any signs of hesitation. The scuffle was arduous to be sure, as the trio was certainly outnumbered by the horde of bulky Heartless surrounding them. However, the key difference between this skirmish and their initial fights in Thebes was clear: instead of working against each other, this time, the trio worked perfectly in sync, finally falling back into their old rapport they usually carried in battles of the past. And that rapport only continued as they cleared out the first wave of Heartless, though no rest awaited them as several more hordes seemed to be invading Olympus as a whole, diminishing the sanctity and security the realm of the gods _should _have known. Even so, Sora, Donald, and Goofy were more than equipped to deal with them as they tore their way through the weaker shadows, steadily cutting their way through towards the heart of Olympus in the hopes of meeting up with Hercules again there. And sure enough, that's exactly what they did.

The trio had just about reached the apex of the divine domain when they spotted their first glimpse of the hero. He was still perched on Pegasus as the dynamic duo swept through the air, slicing through any aerial Heartless he came across as he made a beeline for the central citadel, where Hades and his Titans no doubt awaited. Hercules happened to spot the trio himself as he flew high above them, and he offered them a small, confident nod of greeting, having already expected them to follow after him, even despite his advising against it. Still, if there was anyone who could help him take on the threat Hades and his sinister monsters posed, Hercules knew it'd be those three, no doubt.

It seemed as though they were all going to arrive not a moment to soon, either, as Hades himself stood smugly within the sacred rotunda, watching with a triumphant smirk as his Titans conquered the so-called "mighty" gods of the glorious Olympus. The lesser deities had all been restrained by the lord of the dead's darkened chains, left to watch as even the all-powerful Zeus himself was overpowered by the Titans' immense elemental powers.

"I swear to you, Hades!" the king of the gods shouted angrily down to his brother from his ever-expanding prison of solid fire and ice. "When I get out of this, I'll-" Zeus never got a chance to finish his threat as the freezing molten rocks finally covered him completely, effectively sealing him and all his sacred power away.

"Yeah, nah," Hades' grin deepened as he conjured up a dark throne, finalizing his newfound domain over the realm of the gods. "_I'll _be the one giving orders around here from now on, bolt boy."

"Don't get too comfortable, Hades!"

The lord of the dead shot upright in his seat upon hearing such a brazen proclamation, his baffled shock growing tenfold as he spun around to find a familiar hero flying in. Hercules sent Hades a challenging grin as he soared in upon Pegasus swiftly, his radiant sword poised to put an end to the lord of the dead's dark regime. But as startled and outraged by the hero's appearance alone, Hades was even more incensed to find that he wasn't alone.

"Yeah, 'cause we're here to stop you!"

All the lord of the dead could do was gape, absolutely appalled as he turned back towards the citadel's gates only to find Sora, Donald, and Goofy standing before them, their weapons in hand. Things only seemed to go from bad to worse for Hades as Hercules sped in, cutting through the chains binding the other gods with a single swing of his steady sword. The lord of the dead all but ignored the deities' united cheers of celebration over their release as his blue flames quickly spiked deadly red as a sign of his fury, fury that he had no qualms about showing as he fiercely demanded his Titans to cut these brazen interlopers down before they ruined his careful plans altogether.

"Get them!" he shouted to his quartet of mythical monsters. And sure enough, the Titans didn't hesitate to act on this intense command, storming forward with thunderous steps and leaving behind deadly trails of fire, ice, wind, and stone in their wakes. They towered tall over the trio in particular, and though the thought occurred to each of them that they were in over their heads in dealing with such massive monsters, it was quick to be pushed away as soon as the hero leapt off his winged steed to join them.

"You guys ready for this?" Hercules asked as he landed, not hesitating to take up a fighting stance against the rampaging Titans.

"We're always ready," Sora assured confidently, brandish his Keyblade for the no doubt daunting battle ahead.

And daunting it was. The Titans didn't bother holding back their initial blasts, going in for elemental attacks first, as would be expected. The immense gales caused by the wind Titan alone made things difficult for the group, but when coupled with the non-stop icy spikes, fiery blasts, and hurling rocks, they found that even getting anywhere close to the monsters to land so much as a single blow on any of them all but impossible.

"How are we supposed to fight them like this?" Donald huffed in annoyance as he launched another ultimately blocked flame spell over at the ice Titan. "They just keep knocking us back!"

"If only we could just fight each of 'em one-by-one," Goofy said, using his shield to deflect a hard-thrown stone. "That'd sure make things a lot easier!"

"Wait a second…" Sora mused with dawning realization as sudden, somewhat risky plan came to mind. "That's it! Herc, you think you can cause a distraction for us?"

"You can count on me," the hero grinned, not even having to ask what the Keybearer's possible plans were. Instead, Hercules boldly ran forward while the trio skirted off out of the Titans' notice. The hero made good on his word to provide a timely distraction as he vaulted up onto the rock Titan first, moving far faster than the sluggish, bulky creature could before finally taking up a perch upon one of its two flat stone heads.

"Hey, lava-breath!" he taunted to the fire Titan in particular. "Bet ya can't knock me off!"

As expected, the Titan took the bait as it sent its massive flaming arm swinging directly at the hero. And while Hercules was able to easily avoid it with a simple deft leap off the monster's head, the rock Titan was not as its fiery counterpart struck it hard. The momentous blow was more than enough to send the rock Titan flying, even despite its impressive weight and sturdy build, not just across the rotunda, but clear off the edge of the citadel altogether. And, with the other monsters distracted as they were with watching their fellow Titan plummet through the clouds, they failed to notice the trio rounding off behind the icy behemoth in particular, ready to carry out their decisive surprise attack.

"Ok, on three," Sora said discreetly to Donald and Goofy as they positioned themselves behind one of the ice Titan's rather spindly legs. "One, two-"

"H-hey! Hey! Hey!" Hades shouted from his spot on the sidelines upon noticing the trio setting up to take out another one of his Titans. Or ideally, even more than that. "What do you three numbskulls think you're doing!?"

"Three!" Sora shouted hastily, and not a moment too soon either. For just as Hades lobbed a series of smaller fireballs over at the trio in a haphazard attempt at stopping them, they leapt out of the attack's path entirely, instead enacting one all their own. Their weapons each struck the ice Titan's inner knee at the exact same moment, the sheer impact of their combined blow proving to be more than enough to shatter it entirely. The chilled creature let out a hiss of surprise, unable to catch itself as it began to topple over onto, fortunately enough onto none other than the fire Titan right next to it. The conflicting elementals instantly began acting against each other the moment they slammed into each other, resulting in both of them tumbling over on top of each other, effectively stunned.

"Nice one, you guys," Hercules congratulated the trio as they regrouped. "Looks like you just killed two birds with one stone. Or I guess I should say two _Titans _with one stone."

"Aw, shucks, they're not so tough by themselves!" Goofy assured brazenly.

"And with three down, that means there's only one left to go—whoa!" Sora was interrupted as the final Titan standing roared into vengeful action, launching all four of them upward with its violent gales. The breezy creature expanded the range of its twirling tornado, casting the group flying in just about every direction possible without any signs of letting any of them land safely. Getting in any attacks against the wind Titan also seemed to be out of the question as the monster kept itself firmly at the eye of its storm as it easily blew off any sort of spell or swing sent its way. And, after it seemed to get tired with toying with its struggling victims, the Titan finally turned them loose, its winds tossing them high before letting gravity take care of the rest. Fortunately, however, their shared freefall didn't end in disaster as Pegasus soared in just in the nick of time to come to their rescue. The winged steed retrieved Hercules out of the air first, and then deftly flew back in so he could catch Sora, Donald, and Goofy in turn before landing back at the edge of the citadel, a bit shaken up, but still no worse for wear.

Unfortunately, however, it seemed as though the group would receive no reprieve in this battle whatsoever. For just as they began picking themselves up to continue the fight, the three fallen Titans seemed to do the same. The monsters of fire and ice had finally broken away from each other and recovered, lumbering back up to their full, towering heights as they joined the wind Titan once more. And, to make matters worse, even the rock Titan somehow rose up through the clouds again to regroup with its companions as all four monsters came to surround the group, much to Hades' sadistic amusement as he continued observing the fight from afar.

"Yeah, that's right," the lord of the dead challenged with a vindictive grin. "Keep linin' em' up to knock 'em down. They'll just keep getting back up. Let's see if you plucky yutzes can do the same…"

"Gawrsh, I sure hope we can…" Goofy said, more to the others than to Hades. "Especially since we gotta fight all four of 'em at once again."

"We're right back to square one!" Donald added just as fretfully.

"So what?" Sora asked defiantly, refusing to let that worrisome fact phase him. "There's four of us too!"

"Actually," Hercules interjected, grinning as he looked up to the solid molten tower before them. "I think I can make it _five_." Without even giving any of the Titans a chance to attack, the hero leapt into action, hurrying up the hardened icy mound and breaking into its seemingly impenetrable surface with his bare hands alone. Light instantly poured out of the darkened rocks, signifying the revival of the king of the gods mere seconds before Zeus burst fourth from his prison, his divine might restored once more.

"Aha!" Zeus laughed triumphantly, his usual gusto showing as he turned to his son with a proud grin. "Thank you, my boy. Now… time to watch your old man get to work!"

The trio on the ground watched in apt excited amazement as the king of the gods conjured up two handfuls of his bright, iconic lightning bolts. Alternatively, Hades gasped in shocked dismay as his meticulous plans all began to fall apart in one fell swoop as Zeus chucked his thunderous projectiles at each of the Titans in fast, blinding succession. The monsters, well familiar with Zeus' incredible power and how outmatched even they were against it, reeled in pain from the brutal strikes and instantly fell back before the king of the gods could obliterate them altogether. Yet despite their frightened attempt at fleeing, Hercules wasn't about to let them get away so easily; the hero managed to grab ahold of the wind Titan's tail end as it whirled past him, grasping the very gusts themselves tightly as he swung its massive, tornado-like form around freely. Its suctioning winds were more than enough to pull the other three Titans into the cyclone, trapping each of them and their elemental might within its thrall. And, with a single hefty toss, Hercules sent the wind Titan, as well as the other three mythical monsters contained within it, flying as high as the outer reaches of the cosmos themselves, finally freeing Olympus from their legendary terror once and for all.

With the Titans taken care of, a round of celebratory cheers rose up from the trio, Hercules, Zeus, and the countless other gods who had been forced to watch the intensive brawl from afar, unable to offer their aid to the cause as a result of Hades' power. As for the lord of the dead himself, to say that he was outraged by such a crushing defeat was an understatement as his flames sparked red the moment he turned towards the noble group who had bested his intricate, practically perfect schemes.

"I can't believe it!" he shouted sharply. "I put eighteen years into that plan, and you've blippin' _ruined _it, just like that! I _really _don't like _any _of you… And believe me, that's me being _nice. _But I'm more than ready to get _not so nice _to take care of you CHUMPS!"

"Oh, just give it a rest already," Sora remarked, completely unintimidated by such hallow threats. "You'll never beat Herc, no matter how many times you times you try!"

"Yeah, go back to the Underworld where ya belong!" Goofy added vigorously.

"Go have the time of your _afterlife_!" Donald quipped with a wry smirk.

"Enough already!" Hades snapped fiercely. "I did NOT come this far to be ridiculed by Zeusy high and mighty, his little sunspot, and a trio of _clowns_! You know what? I'll just go ahead and destroy you myself!"

Despite the lord of the dead's literally fiery rage, the trio was more than prepared to brazenly square off against him. Fortunately though, it seemed as though they wouldn't have to as Hercules calmly intervened just in time. "Hades," the hero garnished a glare of immense ire from the lord of the dead, one that only seemed to amuse him all the more as he motioned towards Olympus' nearby glittering gates. "The exits' _that _way."

In all his anger, Hades had half a mind to put up a vicious fight regardless. However, as Zeus simply cleared his throat to carry across the unspoken reminder of his untold might, the lord of the dead begrudgingly decided to back off, knowing that if the Titans were no match this collective group combined, then chances were, neither was he. So instead, Hades simply let out a sour sigh of defeat, his flames returning to their usual blue as he began to sulk towards the gates, though he didn't make it there as Hercules decided to stop him one more time.

"Oh, I almost forgot," the hero interjected casually. His intent became immediately clear, however, as Hades glanced back towards him, only to be met with a swift, painful punch in the jaw. "That one's for trying to wreck Thebes."

"Augh! You'll pay for this!" Hades shouted bitterly, darkness swirling around him as he rubbed his sore cheek. "You all will! I have a very, _very _long memory! I can still dunk your little Nut-Meg in a river of dea-" The lord of the dead was swiftly cut off as Zeus easily sent a single lightning bolt his way, eliciting a loud shriek of literal shock from Hades as he made his rather embarrassing retreat back to the Underworld, finally defeated.

For now, at least.

* * *

With Hades and the Titans gone, the radiant peace that Olympus was known for easily returned in full force. The gods and goddesses gladly took up their seats of prominence and power once more, Zeus included as he heralded his son and his trio of plucky mortal friends the noble heroes of the realm. Still, with Thebes likely still recovering from Hades' onslaught, Hercules knew he couldn't stay to take part in the jovial celebrations for too long. And so it was that the hero decided to make his return to the mortal realm down below, and just as before, Sora, Donald, and Goofy accompanied him, even as they passed through Olympus' glorious gates once again. All the same, Hercules did stop short as soon as they did, pausing briefly to cast an almost wistful glance back at the world he knew he had come from, but wasn't really a part of anymore. Once again, the all-too familiar question filled the hero's mind, and it was a question that, ironically enough, Sora happened to curiously pose to him a mere moment later.

"Are you sure you wanna leave all this behind?" the Keybearer asked with something of a sympathetic frown.

"Yeah, isn't Olympus your home?" Goofy inferred thoughtfully.

"Its where your family is, isn't it?" Donald asked, sharing the concerned sentiment.

Hercules smiled softly at this, appreciating their worries though not fully sharing them as he looked past the gates towards the realm of the gods once more. "I can see my family anytime I want. But… if I stayed… then I'd have to be apart from the person I love most…. And that life would be empty." The hero's resolved smile widened a bit as he turned away from the gates and looked down the lengthy set of golden stairs leading up to it. There, waiting at the bottom for her hero's return, was none other than Meg; she said nothing, but instead simply returned the loving look Hercules sent her way, love that the hero knew, would keep him coming back to her every single time. "I finally know where I belong," Hercules said, a sense of confident finality in his tone. And then, without a second thought, the hero suddenly began bolting down the stairs, eager to brace the gap between him and Meg once and for all. The couple met in a tender, sweet embrace, one that easily conveyed their feelings for each other more than any words ever could.

Though the trio made sure to give the pair their privacy, they soon joined them at the bottom of the stairs, each of them warmed by such a touching sight. Meg and Hercules both returned their greeting grins as their hug dispelled and the hero turned to the Keybearer with a sense of renewed resolve. "Sora, we never got back to your question. Do you still think there's any way I can help?"

Though grateful for Hercules' kind offer, Sora, surprisingly enough, simply shook his head, much to the initial confusion of both of his companions. "Nah, its ok," he assured with a genuine smile. "I think this is something I'm meant to figure out for myself. I'll find my strength again the way you found yours: by fighting for something I care about… with all my heart. You know, its funny… I guess you _did _have the answer I was looking for after all."

Hercules nodded firmly at this, glad to see that the Keybearer's usual drive had finally returned in full force. "Well, you've definitely got heart, Sora. Just keep at it, and I know you'll be stronger than ever in no time."

"Yeah!" Sora exclaimed, playfully showing off his muscles, even if they didn't really compare to the hero's at all. "Who knows? I might even end up stronger than _you _are someday!"

"Oh brother…" Donald rolled his eyes at such a remark while Goofy chuckled in amusement. "There he goes again!"

"Hey, nothing's impossible!" Sora shrugged, letting out a small, good-natured laugh of his own as he began to lead the way forward.

"You guys heading out again?" Hercules asked with a knowing smirk.

"Yeah, we really should get going," the Keybearer noted a bit halfheartedly, always sad to leave good friends behind. "Sorry we can't stay and help clean up the mess Hades caused."

"Eh, don't worry about it," the hero assured with a shrug. "We have it covered."

"Now don't be strangers, you three," Meg advised with a wry grin. "Come back and see us again soon, k?"

"Yes, ma'am!" the trio returned with an exuberant salute, waving their final farewells to the couple as they took their leave to make the long trek back to the Gummi Ship.

"Ya know, Olympus really is an incredible place," Goofy noted as they began heading back down the mountain again.

"Yeah," Donald agreed. "Hercules must really have a strong heart to choose to just give it all up like that for love!"

Upon hearing this, Sora stopped short, unbeknownst to his companions as he cast a small, brief glance at the sacred peak they were leaving behind. "A strong heart…" he mused quietly to himself, daring to ask himself the question of, if he was ever somehow in a position similar to Hercules', whether or not he'd make the same choice himself. The Keybearer knew well that he'd never really known any sort of excessive power or position before, not that he ever really had much of a desire for those things in the first place. What Sora _did _know he wanted, what he had always wanted really, was to keep his friends safe, to be with them and stay with them, even though that hardly ever seemed to be the case anymore. But even so, if he ever had to choose between his friends: between Donald, Goofy, the king, Riku, Kairi and something far greater than he could ever hope to imagine, then he figured such a choice would beyond clear, to the point that he didn't even have to think twice, even hypothetically speaking.

His friends would always, _always _come first, no matter who… or _what _tried to come between.

* * *

**So yeah, there ya have it! Our adventures in Olympus have reached their end, as fun as they were. Though to be honest, I'm kinda glad their done as this opens up the path to some more... interesting happenings in the next few chapters before we venture out into another Disney world (which won't be for a while, I gotta set some important stuff up after all lol). Anyway, again, sorry a lot of this did seem kinda rehashing KH3 stuff. I'm gonna try to not do that a ton moving forward, only when I really feel like something from 3 works well for my purposes (that scene with Xigbar for example? What he said there is gonna prove to be way more plot relevant here than it was in KH3, fyi). Anyway, don't wanna ramble on here for too long. Don't forget to let me know what you thought in the REVIEWS! Until next time! **


	7. Chapter 6: Wandering in the Dark

_Hey lookie! I'm finally back with another chapter of this! I was super excited to get back to working on this, and hopefully it shows. This chapter is kind of a bit more of a KH3 novelization, though its mostly because I had to set up important plot-related stuff in it for the rest of the story. So yeah hopefully it's still a fun ride all the same despite that. And with that out of the way, enjoy!_

* * *

_Chapter 6: Wandering in the Dark_

_Faith, should I take the leap?_

Darkness, raw and unfettered, stretched out as far as the eye could see, drenching seemingly every single inch of the realm in a mire of empty gloom. Each rock, spire, and landmass was permeated by it, just as much as the silent air and infertile soil were. It was a vast, lonely, hopeless place, devoid of any light or natural life or even the passage of time itself to bring any sort of change to its ever-stagnant shadows.

This was the Realm of Darkness. And it was here, to this distant place devoid of light, that Riku and Mickey had ventured into to begin their search for Master Aqua.

It was a risky endeavor, of that much they were both certain. After all, the Dark World itself seemed to react quite harshly to anything or anyone that came from the Realm of Light, as the pair had already discovered from the flock of Heartless that had beset them almost as soon as they arrived. Even so, they had made quick work of the creatures and ventured onward into the darkness, hoping to find at the very least some conclusive clues as to Aqua's whereabouts, if not the lost Master herself.

Yet despite their shared resolve, their task was still rather daunting all the same, the ever-looming threat of Heartless on the prowl aside. The Realm of Darkness was a vast, largely unexplored territory, with multiple different layers and facets to it. Aqua could literally have been anywhere within it, perhaps even in the deepest layers of darkness itself. Fortunately for Riku and Mickey, they were both clad in new clothing given to them by Master Yen Sid, meant to guard them from the invasive darkness all around them. Aqua, on the other hand, had not been so lucky for her lengthy stint in the shadows, which meant that time was certainly of the essence when it came to pulling her out of them and back into the light where she belonged.

Which was why the pair kept up a steady pace as they traversed the realm's barren paths, only illuminated by the bizarre blue cracks in the uneven spires all around them. Mickey led the way, more familiar with the Dark World thanks to his previous journey there alongside Aqua herself. However, the king did stop short upon hearing Riku's footfalls slowly grow silent behind him.

"What's wrong, Riku?" Mickey asked, curious as he turned to face his companion. "Are you tired? Ya know, they say that just _being_ in the Realm of Darkness can wear you out if you're not careful, so if you need a break, we can stop for a bit if ya want to."

Riku glanced up, offering the king a small smile of gratitude for his concern as he shook his head. "No, it's just… I've been here before. I _should _know this place. But all that seems like another life now… Its kind of hard to believe it wasn't even that long ago."

"Well, gee, think of all you've seen since then! All the feelings you've felt!" Mickey grinned, clearly proud of Riku's progress. Progress that the king had largely gotten to witness first hand since their respective paths tended to intertwine so frequently. "Why, you've done years of growin' in almost no time at all!"

"It really does feel like I have…" Riku agreed thoughtfully. "I remember the first time I was here. I was so scared. But now, my doubts and fears are gone. If anything, I feel exhilarated. And its not because there's darkness in me—I know all too well what that rush is like. This is different. And its not just adrenaline either; I know Aqua needs us… but I'm ready. I'm in control now. Maybe its because you're with me this time," he theorized, smiling down at the king.

Mickey, however, shook his head knowingly. "Its not me. I think it's because you've finally found that special strength inside you to protect what matters."

"What?" Riku asked, struck by a sudden sense of familiarity he couldn't quite place upon hearing this.

"Sometimes, you care for someone so much that other feelings disappear," Mickey explained. "And then, there's no room for fear or doubt."

"…Is that it?" Riku asked, genuinely surprised that it was all so simple. Perhaps when he was younger and less experienced, he would have callously doubted that such strength and confidence could come merely from feelings of the heart. But after everything he'd experienced and seen, he had no problem believing that fact like it was the most sensical thing in all the worlds.

And that wasn't the only reason either. As the newly-named Master glanced down at his hand, a memory stirred, one from a long time ago, when a Keyblade had been placed into his hand for the very first time. He had been much younger, much more innocent but filled with a deep curiosity about the worlds beyond the peaceful islands he had always known. And that curiosity was even more peaked that day, when a young man from the outside world itself appeared before him. The young man was strong and formidable, but his eyes were kind and his tone gentle as he respectfully addressed the younger Riku as though he was his equal.

"_Is there some reason you're interested in the outside world?" _the young man had asked, genuinely intrigued.

Riku had nodded. _"Yeah. I wanna be strong someday, like that kid who left. He went to the outside world; I bet he's really strong now." _The young man's brow had furrowed at this, but even so, Riku continued. _"I know its out there somewhere. The strength that I need."_

"_Strength for what?"_

"_To protect what matters," _Riku had smiled, especially as his gaze drifted off towards where Sora was eagerly waiting for him from afar. _"You know, like my friends."_

The young man had offered him his own warm smile at this as he beckoned the boy closer to him. _"Outside this tiny world is a much bigger one." _ Within his grasp, a large, sturdy Keyblade had materialized, and, not knowing what it was at the time, Riku had stared at the grand weapon in wonder, especially as the young man held it out to him. _"In your hand, take this key. So long as you have the makings, then through this simple act of taking, its wielder you shall one day be. And you will find me, friend—no ocean will contain you then. No more borders around, or below, or above, so long as you champion the ones you love."_

And just like that, a Keyblade had been bequeathed.

It was a memory Riku hadn't thought of too often, but as of late, it had been coming back to him more and more frequently. Perhaps it had something to do with him recently receiving the title of Master or something else altogether, but he could feel it. The hopeful words of that young man, whoever he might have been, had rung true for him before and even now. So long as he fought to protect those he cared for, then there really were no limits to what he could do.

"Strength to protect what matters…" Riku repeated softly to himself before addressing Mickey once more. "It reminds me of a promise I made."

"Really? To who?" the king asked, intrigued.

"Just someone I once met," Riku said coolly, remembering the other part of the promise he had made to the young man: to keep that vow a secret. "Can't tell."

"Well, it sure sounds like a good memory," Mickey grinned all the same.

"Yeah… it was…" Riku nodded, though his manner soon turned serious as he spared another glance at the darkness all around them. "While we're reminiscing… Mickey, does any of this look familiar to you?"

"Sort of, but the Realm of Darkness has changed since I was here with Aqua," the king informed.

"Yeah, its different from what I remember too…" Riku mused. "Kind of makes finding our way around here a bit of a challenge, huh?"

"Usually, I'd just follow my heart, and Aqua would show me the way," Mickey said, knowing that very method had led him to her here before. "But… the closer I get, the hazier the connection feels…"

Riku frowned with apt concern upon hearing this. "You mean…?" he trailed off, hoping that their journey here wasn't all for naught.

"M-maybe…" Mickey sighed, not liking to fear the worst. "But we can't give up hope! We'll just have to keep looking until we finally find her!"

"Right," Riku agreed solidly, knowing that Aqua had given up so much to rescue him before. And that was a debt to her that he knew, simply _couldn't _go unpaid.

And so the pair continued on their way, delving ever deeper through the cavernous darkness as they forged the path ahead. Thankfully, few Heartless beset them along the way and the ones that did were generally easily defeated. Yet even still, their search seemed rather directionless, even with Mickey attempting to lead the way, as neither of them were able to find even the slightest sign that Aqua was anywhere nearby. A fruitless trend that continued even as the pair happened upon an empty moonlit shore, the very edge of the Dark World itself, the Dark Margin.

"This beach…" Riku spoke up, instantly struck by the odd nostalgia of this shore as they walked across its shadowed sands. Though before he could elaborate on it, Mickey interrupted, his tone fretful and apprehensive.

"It's gone…" the king said, stepping forward.

"Huh?" Riku asked, confused.

"I'm positive Aqua was here," Mickey said and indeed it was true. He held felt a spark of light, however faint, that he could have sworn belonged to the lost Master. But upon following that spark to this very spot, not only was she nowhere to be found, but her spark seemed to disappear almost as soon as they arrived. "But now… her trail's gone dim…"

"I've been here too," Riku said, looking around. "With Sora. This is where we found our way back into the Realm of Light." The new Master gasped as he reached a sudden realization that, based on all he knew of this shore, could have very well been true. Or at least, he hoped it was. "Hey, maybe Aqua did too!"

As hopeful of a theory as this was, Mickey was quick to shoot it down, knowing that the truth was much more grim. "Aqua… has fallen into an even darker abyss," he said sadly as he turned to the gloomy ocean before them. "Somewhere I can't see her. And I don't think we're equipped to dive any deeper than we already are."

"So then…" Riku began, slumping his shoulders in defeat over their currently lost cause. "Are we going to have to-"

He never got a chance to finish as they were unexpectedly interrupted as a swap of Heartless—a much larger group than any they had encountered thus far—suddenly rose up from the sand before them. "Oh no!" Mickey exclaimed as both he and Riku summoned their Keyblades. "Riku… be careful," the king advised as they both took up their battle stances. "Even the least threatening Heartless are stronger in this realm."

"Got it," Riku heeded the king's warning as he held his Keyblade back, ready to strike. However, oddly enough the Heartless didn't move to do the same, at least not at first. Instead, the shadows rushed past the pair of Keyblade wielders, frantically skittering so they could all join together near the shoreline. And once they did, they instantly converged, uniting in an explosion of darkness to create a writhing, massive wave of Heartless: a Demon Tide.

The towering horde of creatures let out a collective shriek, one that was more than enough to prompt both Mickey and Riku into action against it. The pair narrowly dodged the tide as it crashed down into the sand between them, a few Heartless falling away during the impact, though they quickly pieced themselves back into the mass. Riku and Mickey were quick to retaliate though, both of them countering back with a shared, well-timed slash against the base of the shadow tower. The force was enough to not only push the Demon Tide back, but also obliterate several of the Heartless that composed it, though it was clear it showed no signs of slowing down yet.

"Riku!" Mickey called over the din of the battle as they both leapt away from the tide. "We have to attack its core!"

Riku took the briefest of pauses, scrutinizing the swirling tower before spotting exactly what Mickey was talking about: a brightly glowing orange orb at the center of the tide, largely concealed by the thrall of Heartless covering it. "I'm on it!" he called, brazenly rushing in. To distract the shadows, Riku shook them up with a spell of darkened ice, freezing the tower's base in place as he jumped high to strike the core. Mickey hurried after him, providing ample backup in the event that the ice broke, which it quickly did. The tide lashed out to knock Riku away from it, only to be stalled by the king's Keyblade diving through it, taking out several of its Heartless in the process. With the other shadows as stunned as they were from such a devastating blow, Riku came in with one of his own, this time aimed for the newly-opened core. His strike hit true as the tip of his Keyblade rammed into the orb, destroying it on contact. And, with nothing else to hold them all together, the Demon Tide quickly fell apart.

Riku and Mickey allowed themselves the smallest moment of rest as the Heartless collapsed back onto the shore. Unfortunately, as scattered as they were, they weren't defeated, as they made entirely clear as they rose up from the shadows once again. "It's not over yet!" Mickey warned, already knocking a Heartless away. "Be careful!"

Before Riku could even think about responding, a sudden explosion of darkness rocked the entire beach. The culprit was an entirely new Demon Tide, one that burst forth from the natural shadows of the realm to attack the unwelcome pair. And, try as he might to stand against this new threat, Riku only had enough time to turn towards it before it slammed directly into him at full force.

He barely heard Mickey's alarmed shout from afar before the darkness swallowed him whole.

* * *

He was drowning. Drowning in the deepest mire of darkness itself.

It was strange how much it felt like water, cold and wet and thick. But in many ways, it was so very different: heavy, crushing, _suffocating. _Within its inescapable hold, he couldn't see, he couldn't breathe, he couldn't think. All he could do was wait, his lungs, his heart, his entire body shuddering with pain as the leeching darkness seeped into them, for the lonely demise he knew was sure to come.

That is, until a voice, so faint he could barely even catch it, broke through the darkness.

"_Didn't expect to see you again," _it spoke, practically unintelligible as soft and distant as it was. Still, it was a voice that he instantly recognized all the same, his eyes opening wide the very moment he heard it.

"W-what…?" he dared to ask, still choking on the darkness entrenching him. Even so, he ignored that for now, glancing around the void as the voice spoke again.

"_Why did you even come here?" _it asked, a hint of wry teasing in its muffled, nearly indiscernible tone.

"B-because somebody needs me…" he answered weakly, clenching his agonized chest tightly as he remembered his resolve. His journey wouldn't end here, it couldn't. Not when he still had so much he needed to do.

"…_Do you want some help?" _the voice questioned after a moment of apparent hesitation.

"W-who… who are you?" he asked, flinching in pain once again. The voice was undoubtably familiar, but as lost in the crippling shadows as he currently was, he had a hard time remembering exactly who it was.

"_Me?" _the voice asked, just as he found he was unable to hold on any longer. His vision dimmed as the darkness flooded into him in full force, sending him drifting even further into the empty void as he heard the voice's final word. _"I'm-"_

* * *

"R-Riku? Wake up!"

Slowly but surely, he did just that, his eyes blinking open only to find Mickey standing over him, his expression rife with immense concern. Riku let out a deep breath as his senses slowly returned to him, though even so, the king's relieved, joyful grin was not lost on him. "You're ok!" Mickey exclaimed, offering him a hand to help him up.

Riku didn't take it however as he sat up on his own, his entire body still aching slightly, though other than that, he seemed to be uninjured. What _did _seem to be off however, was his hair as he absently ran a hand through it, noting that it was quite a good bit shorter than it had been mere moments ago. _How did THAT happen? _He wondered incredulously, though even so, he didn't bother sparing too much more thought on the matter. After all, there were much more important things to worry about now. "Where did the Heartless go?" Riku asked Mickey, noticing that the beach was still and empty once again.

"I got more than half of 'em," the king reported. "And the rest vanished. But they spit you out first."

"Thanks…" Riku groaned, pressing a hand against his still pounding head as he rose to stand. "I owe you."

"I know ya feel invincible," Mickey advised with a cautious frown. "But we're not. Especially not here."

Riku nodded, heeding the king's advice. "Are _you _all right, Mickey?" he asked, placing his own concerns with his companion.

"Yeah, thanks to the new gear," the king smiled as he tugged on his new jacket. "But… your Keyblade…"

"Oh…" Riku glanced down at the weapon in his hand, or rather, what was left of it. The Way to Dawn had been absolutely shattered, its once sharp and stately tip broken completely off by the swarming mob of Heartless. In its current form, the Keyblade was now effectively useless, and unfortunately, neither Riku nor Mickey had any means or knowledge on fixing it.

"The Heartless here are stronger than we expected," Mickey piped up as Riku continued inspecting his broken Keyblade. "I guess we probably should have powered up our Keyblades before we came in here, huh?"

Riku said nothing, save for a somewhat forlorn sigh as he looked back down at the Way to Dawn again. That Keyblade had gotten him through many tight spots in the past and in many ways, it was the very weapon that had led him to becoming a Master in the first place. But even his own deep attachment to it hadn't been enough to save it in the end, much to his bitter disappointment.

"I think we need to go back to Master Yen Sid's tower so we can regroup," Mickey continued sternly. And while Riku normally would have agreed on such a wise plan of action, he knew their work in this realm was far from finished.

"But… Aqua's still down here, alone, facing enemies like that," he said with apt concern for the missing Master.

"I-I know…" Mickey sighed fretfully. Of course, he wasn't keen on the idea of letting Aqua languish in the darkness any further either. But if neither of them survived this realm and its treacherous traps to save her, then who would?

"What if she's feeling as scared and alone… as I felt the first time I came here?" Riku asked as he gazed out upon the endless sea of shadow before him. "How long are we supposed to keep her waiting in this awful place?"

Sensing Riku's guilt and melancholy over the matter, Mickey didn't hesitate to step over to the shoreline to join him. A beat of pensive silence passed between the pair as they contemplated Aqua's unknown, dark fate, but even so, the king still had hope that his longtime friend would be alright. And that hope was what he knew he had to share with Riku now. "I know you're worried about her, and I am too," Mickey began earnestly. "But Aqua… she's like Sora."

"_What_?!" Riku gasped, dumbfounded by the king's implications. After all, he had always heard that Aqua was a wise, coolheaded Keyblade Master. But to think that she could be anywhere near as thoughtlessly reckless and wildly brazen as Sora often tended to be was more than enough to floor Riku completely.

"No, no, no! I meant she's _strong _like Sora!" Mickey quickly clarified, understanding the new Master's shock well.

At this, Riku let out a sigh of relief, glad to know that they wouldn't essentially have _two _Soras running around once they brought Aqua back. One was enough to worry about as it was. "Ok, good," Riku nodded, more allayed than before. "Then if her heart really is as strong as his, then she'll be alright. Sora could fall into any darkness and swim his way out. So, if Aqua can do the same, then I guess we won't have to worry."

"That's right," Mickey readily agreed. "Besides, we won't be too long. All we gotta do is get you a new Keyblade and look for clues about where to find her, and we should be more than ready to come back here and save her, once and for all!"

Riku nodded resolutely upon hearing this, more than ready to do just that. Still, for the time being, he decided that there was one final thing he needed to do before they returned to the Realm of Light. With a sift, single movement, he plunged what was left of the Way to Dawn into the sand, smiling sadly as he backed away from its new resting place. "Can't use _this _Keyblade anymore," he said, closing his eyes thoughtfully as he thought back to the distant voice that had beckoned to him within the empty void. The voice that had brought him back from the very brink of destruction. "Might as well leave it here… In case the _other _me needs it."

Mickey looked to Riku with genuine confusion upon hearing this, though he didn't get the chance to ask the new Master what he meant as he turned to leave. Briefly sparing a glance back at the broken Keyblade, the king hurried after him, both of them intent on making their return as soon as possible. And next time they came, they both silently vowed as they left the Dark Margin behind, they _wouldn't _be leaving without Aqua by their side.

* * *

Fresh off their harrowing adventure in Olympus, Sora, Donald, and Goofy had unanimously decided that the best course of action for them to take would be to return to the Mysterious Tower to report their progress to Master Yen Sid. Or rather, their respective lack of progress, something that the sorcerer took in with the same sense of masked disappointment the trio themselves were feeling as they gathered before him.

"I see…" Yen Sid mused, stroking his long beard. "So you could not regain your strength…"

"Aw, no biggie," Sora shrugged, putting on a casual front, even though that fact still did bother him at least a bit. "I still learned a lot."

"Regardless, Sora," the sorcerer said, his tone as serious as ever. "You will still need the power of waking."

Despite bis best efforts to stay positive, Sora couldn't help but let out a small, defeated sigh at this, knowing just as well as everyone else that the power of waking had eluded him during his failed Mark of Mastery exam and it still completely eluded him now. And though he had every intention of taking the helpful advice Hercules had offered him to heart, the Keybearer didn't exactly know how it could possibly assist him in achieving a power as mysterious and special as that.

"It can't be gone forever!" Goofy spoke up in an earnest attempt at encouraging Sora. "Maybe somethin'll trigger it real soon!"

"Like what, exactly?" the Keybearer asked dubiously.

"I know!" Donald chimed in. "How about a good bonk on the head!?"

"Hey!" Sora retorted, hands on his hips.

"Perhaps it _could _be something as simple as that," Yen Sid interjected surprisingly.

"Wait, you think so too?" the Keybearer asked as he turned to the sorcerer incredulously.

"Whenever you are in need," Yen Sid began thoughtfully. "Magic happens. That is perhaps your greatest strength, Sora."

"You make it sound like an accident…" Sora huffed, largely ignoring Donald and Goofy as they chuckled in slight amusement beside him.

"All the same," Yen Sid spoke up, garnishing the trio's full attention once more. "For now I am curious to know: were there any more significant developments the three of you might have come across during your brief journey?"

Sora was more than ready to answer this question, eager to detail their concerning encounters with Maleficent and Pete as well as Xigbar. However, before he could, Donald and Goofy cut in with perhaps the _last_ story the Keybearer wanted getting out when it came to their most recent adventure.

"W-well, ya'see, we were fightin' a whole bunch of Heartless," Goofy began, catching a curious glance from Sora, who wondered exactly where the captain was going with this.

"And Sora had gotten himself hurt by not listening to us,_ as usual_…" Donald continued, crossing his arms.

"A-and when we tried getting' rid of 'em," Goofy said, his apprehension over the perilous tale quite clear. "S-Sora… well, he-"

"I-I got back up and cleared them all out, no problem!" Sora hastily exclaimed before either of his companions could say what _really _happened. His manner was tight and anxious as he offered the sorcerer a wide, rather forced smile, hoping that he wouldn't catch on, even though Donald and Goofy already had.

"Wha-?!" Donald scoffed, looking to the Keybearer suspiciously. "That's not what happ-"

"Y-yep, that's absolutely what happened!" Sora reiterated, cutting the magician off by rushing to cover his beak before he could even get another word out. Despite Donald angrily flailing against him, the Keybearer still kept up his almost aggressively cheerful grin, silently wishing that both of his companions would let this shameful matter finally go. "It was pretty boring though, which means we really _don't _have to talk about it anymore!"

"Would you get off of me?!" Donald fussed as he finally pushed Sora away, clearly frustrated. Goofy looked between the pair, clearly confused, though upon catching a rather pleading look from the Keybearer, he was quick to finally get the gist himself.

"Oh! T-that's right!" the captain covered, much to Sora's immense relief. "It really wasn't anything special. And of course it didn't have anything to do with any sorta darkness, if that's what you're thinkin'!"

Thinking that Goofy's last comment might have been a bit too obvious, Sora let out a small, exasperated groan as he pinched the bridge of his nose, disgruntled. Miraculously enough, however, Yen Sid didn't seem to want to pursue this tale any further as he merely took them by their word instead.

"Very well then," the sorcerer nodded simply. "It is good to hear that some of your usual verve and vigor in the heat of battle has returned to you, Sora. That is an important milestone on the path to reclaiming your lost strength."

"Y-yeah…" Sora said with a rather nervous sigh. "I guess it is…" In truth, he was rather guilty about the rather blatant lie he had just fronted, even more guilty about dragging Donald and Goofy into it along with him. But the last thing he needed now was for the sorcerer, or anyone else for that matter, knowing about his recent accidental slip into darkness. Especially when he was still trying to rise above such darkness in the first place.

Of course, the trio was set to truthfully discuss the foes they had seen in Olympus with the sorcerer, but before they could, the chamber's door suddenly began to creak open, heralding a most unexpected arrival. Or rather, an unexpected return.

"We're back, Master!" Mickey called as he entered first, Riku trailing not too far behind. The pair had only just reentered the Realm of Light, but they figured they had no time to waste in seeking Yen Sid's counsel on what they should do next.

"Whoa!" Sora gasped in amazement over the pair's new outfits as he quickly turned to face them.

"Oh wow, you guys are all here!" the king greeted the trio blithely.

"We were here before," Sora said. "But you guys didn't wait for u—w-whoa!"

The Keybearer was succinctly cut off as well as abruptly shoved aside by both Donald and Goofy, who were both more than excited to see their king safe and sound. "Your majesty!" the magician cried happily as both him and the captain warmly embraced their longtime friend.

"Heya, fellas!" Mickey chuckled as he returned the hug. "What have you three been up to?"

At this, Sora attempted to intervene, regathering his bearings as he hurried over to the group. "We were visiti-"

Once again, he was shoved back by both of his companions, both of whom were eager to have this rare opportunity to visit with the king. "We went to Olympus to visit Hercules!" Donald exclaimed zealously.

"And to figure out how to get all of Sora's lost powers back!" Goofy added just as brightly.

"But it was a big disappointment," the magician whispered to the king, albeit not very discreetly.

"Oh, c'mon, do we have to tell _everybody _that?" Sora huffed, aggravated as he sat up from his fallen spot on the ground.

"Aw, well, that's a real shame," Mickey said with genuine sympathy. "But honestly…"

"We didn't fare any better," Riku picked up where the king left off.

"Oh! Did ya manage to figure out where Aqua is?" Goofy asked, curious.

"Even a hint?" Donald pressed as he noticed the pairs' expressions falter.

In light of the disheartening discovery they had made in the Realm of Darkness concerning Aqua's whereabouts, the most either Mickey or Riku could do was shake their heads sadly. This dejection was quick to spread to Donald and Goofy as they let out their own respective sighs as well. The pair had only ever briefly met Aqua years ago, but all the same, they still hoped for her safe return from the darkness just as much as the king and Riku themselves did.

"We know Master Aqua made it as far as the beach that Sora and I once visited," Riku reported solemnly. "But that's where her trail ends."

"Meaning…?" Sora asked, joining in on the concern as he came to stand alongside Donald and Goofy.

"All traces of her vanish into the great abyss," Mickey said, frowning. "Beneath the Realm of Darkness, where even we can't go. At least not right now."

"So… she's gone?" Donald asked fretfully.

"No," Riku said with a sense of firm resolve. "Sora was dragged into the abyss during his exam, and I went in after him. So… I think if we find someone who was really close to Aqua, and they make the dive, maybe they could reach her down there."

As hopeful as this idea sounded to everyone else, Mickey simply shook his head sadly over it, knowing just how impossible it really was to carry out. "I'm not even sure whose left to ask," the king said remorsefully. "Ventus is hidden, and Aqua's the only one who knows where. Plus, nobody's seen Terra in ages; Aqua was the last."

"So Aqua—she's bound to be the key to finding all three…" Riku mused, realizing just how much of a challenge that would be with Aqua herself as far out of their reach as she currently was.

"Yes," Yen Sid spoke up, his tone rather grave. "Their teacher, Master Eraqus, would have been another possibility… had Xehanort not mercilessly struck him down…."

The sorcerer bowed his head at this out of respect for his fallen friend. Likewise, a morose, reverent silence filled the room as a whole, with just about everyone at a complete loss about what they could do to help Aqua, Terra, or Ventus alike. But then, just as the relative hopelessness of the situation began to sink in, a burst of unexpected warmth seemed to rush through Sora's heart. It was faint, yet bright and sudden and perhaps even oddly familiar as it carried a sense of earnest longing mingled with dutiful purpose. And it was that purpose that drove him to readily speak without so much as even thinking about it, _because if no one else could help Aqua, then he would. _

"I'll save her!" he volunteered boldly, brazenly. However, almost as soon as he did, he was quick to snap back into reality upon hearing the flabbergasted gasps of his companions.

"Wha-!? You can't!" Donald scoffed disapprovingly.

"Yeah, Sora," Goofy said much more patiently. "That's gonna be super hard since you don't have the power of waking."

"Huh?" Sora blinked, shaking his head to clear it. The warmth that had so strangely filled his heart quickly died down, leaving only a brief sense of confusion over where it had come from in its place. "Sorry… I have no idea why _that _just popped out…"

"Well, it was pretty convincing," Mickey said with a small smile.

"Yeah," Riku smirked somewhat playfully to Sora himself. "Better not let us down."

As the others all let out a small, much-needed laugh over this, none of them noticed Yen Sid perk up in his seat a bit behind them, almost as if he had noticed something none of the rest of them had. "Sora," the sorcerer began, his authoritative tone catching the attention of the entire group. "You must focus on regaining your lost power of waking. Mickey and Riku, I recall that Master Aqua visited many worlds and connected with others who could be the link we need. Seek these places out in the hopes of finding a heart bonded strongly enough to hers', with fortitude and strength enough to pull her out of the darkness she is now trapped within."

"Good plan, sir," Mickey nodded in solid agreement, hoping this course of action could finally lead them to the answers they were seeking. "Riku and I will retrace her steps and see if we can find any clues, but first…" The king stepped closer to the sorcerer's desk. "We got hit pretty hard in the Realm of Darkness. My Keyblade was damaged, and Heartless broke Riku's clean in half. So we're gonna need to get replacements before we can continue."

"In that case…." Yen Sid said. "Rendezvous with Kairi and Lea. As you are already aware, they are continuing their training under the tutelage of the wizard Merlin. Furthermore, I would like you to deliver these for me." The sorcerer waved his hand over his desk, conjuring up two rather familiar-looking suitcases.

"Oh!" Mickey exclaimed, recognizing this type of luggage from before. "Are they…?"

"Yes, they are the same as the ones I gave you," Yen Sid nodded, glancing briefly between both Riku and Mickey. "Special vestments to shield Lea and Kairi from the darkness."

"What?" Sora spoke up from across the room as the pair took the suitcases, not even bothering to hide his obvious disappointment. "No fair! What about _my _outfit, Master?"

"Sora!" Donald quickly chastised harshly. "Don't bug him like that! Its inconsiderate!"

"Settle down," Yen Sid evenly cut in. "I have new clothes for you too, Sora. A gift from the good fairies."

"Yes!" Sora cheered excitedly as a third and final suitcase appeared on the sorcerer's desk, one that he didn't hesitate to rush up to claim. "I knew you'd come through for me! Thanks!"

"These are no ordinary garments, Sora," Yen Sid advised. "Like before, they have very special powers, so it took extra time to prepare them. In addition, there is also a gift from Chip and Dale inside."

"Ok, cool!" Sora grinned as he shook the suitcase up, more than eager to see what it contained.

"Happy now?" Riku asked with a knowing smirk.

"Yep!" the Keybearer quipped, slinging the case over his shoulder.

"Also, Sora," Yen Sid spoke up once more. "I am certain you recall our earlier conversation regarding the thirteen Keys to Kingdom Hearts. Well, after further deliberation, I have decided to permit you, Donald, and Goofy to go out amongst the worlds and seek them out after all, in the hopes of obtaining most, if not all of them before Xehanort and his followers do first."

"Whoa, really?" Sora asked, Donald and Goofy echoing his amazement over being tasked with something so very monumental. "Ha! See, I told you guys we'd get to do something important soon!" he exclaimed, flashing a proud grin back at his baffled companions.

"Gosh, the thirteen Keys to the Kingdom…" Mickey mused, familiar with the old legend thanks to his master's teachings. "Searching for them really is an awfully big responsibility, but I'm sure you fellas are up to the challenge!"

"As am I," Yen Sid nodded his agreement. "This will be no easy task; even with the members of Organization XIII that you will no doubt have to contend with while searching for them, the Keys themselves are rumored to be notoriously hard to find. Inasmuch as they are connected to Kingdom Hearts itself, each one is tied to the very nature of the heart and the feelings it is known to express. Perhaps that knowledge will prove to be of assistance in your search."

"Um, ok… feelings…" Sora repeated, rather confused. "Makes sense, I guess," he said, even though it really didn't.

"Worry not, Sora," the sorcerer said with a smallest hint of a bemused grin. "So long as you follow your own heart to wherever it may lead, then I have no doubt the Keys will find their way to you. And who knows? Perhaps exploring worlds both old and new will not only help you regain your lost strength. It could even stir up the lost power of waking within you."

"I _hope _so…" Sora muttered to himself wistfully upon hearing this, longing to claim that all-important power that still eluded him. Of course the only problem that remained was that he had no idea how.

"And with that, I believe you are all ready to proceed," Yen Sid said conclusively to the entire group. They were all just about to embark on their respective missions too, until a small, but spritely voice cut in.

"Hey, wait! Don't forget about me!"

"Jiminy!" Sora, Donald, and Goofy all exclaimed excitedly, watching as the cricket hurried across the sorcerer's desk to greet them. It had been quite some time since they'd all seen him, not since their last journey together really, so suffice to say they were unanimously glad to reunite with their favorite tiny record-keeper once more.

"Every journey worth goin' on needs a cricket to keep track of it," Jiminy grinned as he tipped his hat to the trio. "And I can't let ya start this one without ol' Jiminy Cricket by your side!"

"The whole team's back together again!" Goofy chimed in brightly.

"Yeah! On a whole new adventure!" Donald quipped, just as excited.

Oddly enough, Sora said nothing as he simply looked between his trio of loyal companions, a warm smile on his face at the thought of exploring the worlds with his friends by his side once again. Regardless of the danger the Organization might pose and the challenges they might face in finding the Keys, he was confident that they'd get through it all just fine so long as they stuck together. Just as they always had.

"Well, looks like its time to go!" Mickey exclaimed, setting an example for all the others as he snapped into ready attention for the sorcerer. Everyone else quickly followed suit, offering Yen Sid a respectful bow, though only Sora, Donald, and Goofy happened to catch the final statement he only barely managed to whisper under his breath. A statement that they had shared amongst themselves once before, but only now were hearing it from the sorcerer himself as he spoke it to the trio, with all the hope and assurance it carried along with it.

"…May your heart be your guiding key…"

* * *

As eager as they all were to set out on their respective journeys, the collective group began to spill out of the tower almost as soon as Yen Sid dismissed them. Still, that didn't mean that they weren't going to spare at least a brief moment or two for one fond, final farewell among themselves.

Donald and Goofy had already whisked the king aside to bombard him with plenty of hugs and well wishes, leaving Sora and Riku a chance to converse on their own terms. Something that they hadn't done in quite some time now.

"I know _you _don't really need it," Sora began, offering his friend a wry, yet encouraging grin. "But good luck. I really hope you guys can find a way to help Aqua, but then again, I don't think that'll be too hard for you, "Mr. Master"."

Riku couldn't hold back a small chuckle at this, amused as ever by Sora's lighthearted sense of humor. "Thanks. Still, I have a feeling that saving Aqua is gonna be easier said than done. First we'll have to drop these clothes off with Kairi and Lea, and then-"

"Oh yeah!" Sora interrupted excitedly. "When you see Kairi, tell her I said hi, ok?"

"You really thought I wouldn't?" Riku asked with a sardonic grin.

"Hey, just making sure," the Keybearer returned his smirk as he hung his hands behind his head. "It feels like it's been _forever _since the three of us have all been together in the same place. Once all this is over, we _really _need to hang out, just you, me, and Kairi. Just like it always used to be."

"Yeah…" Riku agreed, though his smile soon faltered as he glanced back over at his friend beside him. "Sora… I… a-are… are you feeling all right?"

"Of course, I am," Sora looked over at him, confused. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Riku's frown deepened as he closed his eyes. "I know I'm probably just worrying over nothing," he began pensively. "But I can't stop thinking about what happened during our exam. A-about… just how _close _Xehanort was to turning you into one of his vessels."

"Y-yeah, but he didn't!" Sora quickly said with somewhat unsteady smile. "So, crisis averted. Nothing to worry about anymore, right?"

"Wrong," Riku crossed his arms and bowed his head, seemingly ashamed. "If Lea hadn't jumped in when he did, I don't think I would have been able to save you on my own. I wasn't…" _Strong enough to protect what matters most, _was what he almost said, though something else came out instead. "I didn't protect you like I should have. I'm sorry."

For a moment, Sora said nothing, instead keeping his immensely concerned sights on his friend alone. He was honestly quite surprised that Riku seemed to take so much personal responsibility for something that, up until now, he had largely been blaming on himself. Which was why Sora knew he had to set the record straight right then and there, if not for his own solace, then for Riku's. "B-but you _did _protect me!" he countered earnestly. "You were the one who dove into my heart to wake me up! Heck, if it wasn't for you, I probably wouldn't even be standing here right now! So don't say sorry. Say you're welcome instead!"

"You're welcome?" Riku raised an eyebrow. "For what?"

"For the huge thank you I'm giving you right now for all of it!" Sora exclaimed, catching Riku off guard with a tight, unexpected hug.

Despite his prior despondency, the new Master was quick to catch his friend's almost infectious cheerfulness as he let out a small laugh, returning the embrace, albeit less tightly. "How is that you always know what to say to make someone feel better?" Riku asked, still grinning.

"Eh, it's a gift," Sora shrugged blithely as they parted. The levity was short-lived however, as the Keybearer briefly thought back on Riku's initial worry over him in the first place. Worry that, given what happened back in Olympus, might not have been as unfounded as Riku said it likely was. "Um… actually, Riku, I-I…" Sora trailed off, hesitating, though he had no real idea why. Leaving Yen Sid out of the loop made some form of sense; the last thing the Keybearer wanted or needed was any further admonishment over his faltering strength, which had no doubt been a factor in his recent bout of losing himself to darkness. But Riku… Sora knew he could trust Riku—he always had and he always would—even with something as alarming, even downright terrifying as this. So why then, did he still feel as though he _couldn't_?

"Sora?" Riku spoke up, noticing his friend's clear apprehension. "What's wrong?"

"I-It's nothing!" the Keybearer quickly blurted out against his better judgement. "N-nothing's wrong. I just… wanted to give you one last goodbye!" he finished with a forced smile, nodding over to Donald and Goofy, who were already waiting for him near the Gummi Ship.

Of course, Riku didn't instantly buy this, instead scrutinizing Sora with a rather critical glance. The Keybearer practically seized up at this, knowing that the new Master had a knack for reading him all too well. "Are you sure?" he asked, his expression softening after a beat. "Because if you ever feel like something _is _wrong, then I want to be the _first _to know."

"O-oh believe me, you will be," Sora assured, trying to mask his own guilt as he said it. For something had indeed gone wrong back in Olympus, when darkness had covered his heart, mind, and body like a shroud and left him with far more questions than answers, far more dread than hope. And as much as he wanted to, at the very least, confide in Riku about just how frightening that moment, that absolute loss of all control, had been, he instead kept that burden to himself, however unbearable it might have been.

"Good," Riku nodded, resolute. "Looks like its time for both of us to head out." He turned slightly with the intent of joining Mickey for their own departure. "Be careful out there, ok? I don't doubt that Donald and Goofy will keep an eye on you, but you need to keep an eye on _yourself _too. Got it?"

"Y-yeah…" Sora said with a halfhearted smile, sending Riku a wave of farewell as he turned to walk off and regroup with his companions. "Got it…"

Of course, Riku noticed the uneasiness in Sora's tone (it wasn't like he had made too much of an effort to hide it), and though he was tempted to turn back around and find out exactly where it was coming from, he didn't. He knew it wasn't like Sora to keep secrets from anyone really, especially him. They had both usually been nothing if not honest with each other—or at least as honest as they could be, certain shameful moments in the past notwithstanding. Which was why Riku couldn't understand exactly what Sora was holding back from him and why. It was something that bothered him, without a doubt, especially considering the recent alarming events of their exam. But for as much as he wanted to get to the bottom of it, he knew he couldn't, at least not right now. There was still so much work to be done in rescuing Aqua from the Dark World, a task so important and monumental for the sake of uniting the seven lights and stopping Xehanort, that it required his wholehearted focus and attention. Worrying about Sora, while always something of a natural constant in the back of Riku's mind, would just have to wait.

Still, even Riku had no idea of just how much he'd end up having to worry about when it came to Sora later on down the line. And if he had… then perhaps he would have thought twice about leaving on just a single, simple, unsatisfying goodbye.

* * *

**Ohohohoh looks like I can't end a chapter without foreshadowing hohohohoh ANYWAY, gotta say that bit between Riku and Sora at the end was my fav part of this chapter for sure. Those two have a pretty special bond and dynamic that I can't wait to explore more of later on down the line. Speaking of dynamics I'm really interested in exploring, next time around I'd say we'll be popping in on Lea and Kairi as they begin their training (and that chapter will be pretty much all original, give or take a few bits), so that's exciting! Hopefully that should be coming up soon, so keep an eye out for it and until then don't forget to REVIEW! Until next time! :) **


	8. Chapter 7: Promising Beginnings

_Well this didn't take nearly as long as I thought it would, and I'm glad for it cause I really liked how this one turned out! To be honest, I think the dynamic between Kairi and Lea in KH3 is really cute, though I kinda wish the game had explored it a bit more (namely how it got started) so I figured that's what I'd use this chapter for. So yeah, its a bit of an interval chapter, though it will be important for development and such later on (because believe me, I plan on utilizing both Kairi and Lea a LOT more than they were in 3 (hell, ESPECIALLY Kairi like... seriously... wtf happened there?) Anyway! With that outta the way, I see no reason to not get started! Enjoy! ^_^_

* * *

_Chapter 7: Promising Beginnings_

_You're only everything I've ever dreamed  
Ever dreamed of, ever dreamed of_

For as long as she had been able to remember, whatever life Kairi might have led prior to her arrival at the Destiny Islands had been a complete and utter mystery to her. It was as though her memories of her birthplace, the first few years of her life in general, had been washed away by the very same tide that had landed her on the island's shore in the first place. At the time, the only piece of fleeting knowledge the girl had carried with her was her own name. And for the longest time, the absence of those essential memories, of a home, a family, friends, anything else she might have once known, had created a deep, almost aching emptiness within her heart. An emptiness that, in time, had been filled by new memories from the new life she had come to lead. By the sound of the surf washing up onto the sand, by the way the pale glow of the moon would illuminate the small, peaceful village at night, by the seagulls and sand crabs and paopu fruit hanging from the lofty palm trees. By the mayor and his family, who had kindly, warmly taken her in and raised her as their own. By Selphie, Tidus, and Wakka. By Riku and perhaps most of all, by Sora.

And yet… the moment Kairi stepped foot into the rising city known as Radiant Garden, she knew. This was exactly where she had come from.

The spark of familiarity that had burst inside her heart upon even so much as a glance at the city's famous central plaza was undeniable. Though the memories of her childhood here were still distant shadows locked away in the back of her mind, Kairi was confident that she had walked these cobblestone streets before. She had a connection to this place, to her home, her _real _home, and the suddenness in realizing that connection was more than enough to rattle her to her core. She let out a shallow breath, her eyes wide as she pressed up against one of the courtyard's shorter walls, a hand pressed again her head as she tried to remember something, _anything _else about her now former home.

And yet… the only memory that stirred was that of a woman's voice, kind and gentle, followed by a burst of warmth centered around the very same pearl necklace Kairi still wore to this day. _"I just cast a magic spell on you_," the woman's voice said, her image all but indiscernible in Kairi's practically faded memory. _"One day, when you're in trouble, the light within you will lead you to the light of another. Someone to keep you safe."_

Kairi's gaze drifted down to the charmed necklace, her fingertips grazing it ever so slightly. She still had no idea who the woman in her memory had been, but she couldn't help but feel as though her spell had rung true. Because for some reason or another, it had led her away from this place and to the Destiny Islands instead. To Sora and Riku. _To someone who had kept her safe._

"Excuse me, are you all ri—oh! Wait… Kairi?! Is that you?"

"Huh?" Kairi blinked out of her thoughts, realizing that she had slid down to sit against the wall. Focusing on the present once again, she noticed a young woman, clad in pink, with long, braided brown hair, her face filled with concern as she knelt down in front of her. A face that, after a moment or two, Kairi quickly recognized from her rather brief stint in Traverse Town well over a year ago now.

"Aerith!" she exclaimed with a surprised smile, not hesitating to embrace the older girl. "It's great to see you again!"

"Same to you," Aerith chuckled warmly, returning the hug before extending a hand to help Kairi up. "Look at how much you've grown! What brings you here to Radiant Garden?"

"I'm actually here to train to use my Keyblade under Merlin the wizard," Kairi informed.

"Oh, so _you're _the other pupil he mentioned earlier!" Aerith said. "Well, in that case, it'll be great having you around here for a while."

"Thanks," Kairi grinned, glad to know that there would be familiar faces around to help, even in some small way, ground her amidst the uncertainty she was facing in the new regiment she was about to undertake. "Actually, Aerith, could you maybe point me in the right direction to Merlin's house? I… don't really know my way around here anymore…"

"Say no more. I'm actually heading there myself," the older girl turned to head off, beckoning Kairi to follow her. "The other members of the committee will be done their own rounds soon, but we'll probably still be the first to make it back."

"Committee?" Kairi asked as she walked alongside Aerith through the calm city streets.

"The Radiant Garden Restoration Committee," Aerith explained. "For over a year now, we've all been working hard to rebuild our home to the way it used to be. There's still plenty of work to be done, but for now, Leon says we've made pretty good progress."

"What exactly did Radiant Garden need to be restored from?" Kairi wondered, eager to learn more about her former home.

Aerith's expression saddened at this as she turned her glance over to the castle towering high over the city's smaller homes and shops. "Several years ago, this world was overrun by Maleficent and her endless army of Heartless."

"Maleficent?" Kairi interjected, familiar with the dark fairy's name. "Isn't she that witch who captured me and the other princesses?"

Aerith nodded gravely. "She came here completely without warning. We fought to protect the town the best we could but… it wasn't enough. She took over, and Leon, Yuffie, Cid, and I were some of the only survivors that made it out alive. It wasn't until Sora and his friends defeated Maleficent that we were able to take our home back and start rebuilding it."

"Oh," was all Kairi said, even though her thoughts were practically exploding upon hearing all this. She wasn't positive, but she had a strong suspicion that Maleficent's conquest of Radiant Garden had been the event that had somehow caused her to be cast out of her former home in the first place. She didn't know how exactly, or why her memories would have been stripped away from her when Aerith's seemed to be completely intact, but it made sense, given that it had been enough to drive most of the city's other residents out. Still, that didn't explain how she had ended up in the Destiny Islands in the first place, but she supposed that was a question for another time.

For now, their brief travel through the city had come to an end as they reached a seemingly small home tucked away between several others. However, upon venturing inside, Kairi was surprised to see that it was much more spacious than it appeared to be. A large computer mounted the wall on one end of the main room, a round meeting table filling out the center and still leaving ample space for several bookshelves and other collections of various items. She marveled in silent wonder at the almost impossible space as she followed Aerith into it, realizing that aside from the two of them, no one else seemed to be there. Until….

"Ah, Aerith, there you are! First to arrive back, as usual. I trust your patrol went well?"

"Yes, it did, Merlin," Aerith responded dutifully to the wizard's seemingly disembodied voice. Confused, Kairi looked all around for any signs of him, though sure enough, Merlin himself soon materialized before them in a burst of colorful magic.

"There, that should do it!" the wizard exclaimed, mostly to himself as he brushed a bit of dust off of his shoulder. "Forgive me for the abrupt appearance, my dear, I was just putting the finishing touches on the training grounds for our soon-to-be Keyblade trainees."

"Speaking of trainees," Aerith grinned as she stepped out of the way. "I happened to find one of them while I was out on patrol."

"Well, what a spot of good luck that was!" Merlin exclaimed excitably as he stepped up to shake his newest pupil's hand. "You must be Kairi. I've been expecting you for quite some time now, though I don't blame your relative tardiness on you. Yen Sid does have a terrible habit for rambling for far longer than necessary, which I'm sure was exactly what he did before sending you off here."

Kairi almost laughed at the wizard's bout of witty humor, though she held it back in favor of maintain the proper respect for her new teacher. "I-I'm very glad to meet you, Master," she said with a humble bow. "It's an honor to be training under someone as wise and powerful as yourself."

"Oh, huff to all that puffery!" Merlin scoffed with a wave of his hand. "You don't have to be so formal around me, my dear. Just calling me Merlin will suffice."

"R-right," Kairi nodded, somewhat embarrassed. "Sorry."

"Now, now," the wizard said with a good-natured grin. "I can tell you're feeling a bit anxious about this undertaking, but fret not. It's been quite a while since I've taken any pupils in under my tutelage, but I can assure that you I am nothing if not a fair and competent teacher. And from what I've heard of _you_ thus far, Kairi, I'm sure you'll be quite a receptive, model student. Why, by the time we're through, I guarantee you'll be well on your way to becoming a true, bona-fide Keyblade Master!"

This assurance did the trick in finally setting Kairi at ease. Ever since Yen Sid had tasked her with this training, she couldn't deny that she had been worried about it for more reasons than one. She had only the barest knowledge of how to use her Keyblade, and even then her skills were minute at best. She was nowhere near the level that either Sora or Riku were on, of that she was certain, and though she wanted to strive to accomplish the strength they both knew, she couldn't help but fear that she never would. After all, she was already so far behind both of them, weak and under-skilled, a novice through and through. She would certainly have her work cut out for her to even just become competent with her Keyblade alone. But to hear Merlin voice his vote of confidence in her so early on gave her just enough hope to think that maybe starting from the bottom and working her way up to the top might not be so difficult after all.

However, before she could properly thank the wizard for his kind words, Kairi was all too quickly reminded of the other major misgiving she had when it came to her training the moment the door burst open behind her. "Alright, gramps," Lea trudged into the house, apparently disgruntled as he glared over at Merlin first. "I've been looking _all _over town for that portal you opened up, but I haven't been able to find it anywhere! What gives? Is this some sort of a secret test or something?"

"No, actually, it wasn't," Merlin pointed out patiently. "The errand I sent you on was for the sole purpose of finding and bringing your fellow pupil here."

"But…" Aerith interjected with something of a wry grin. "It looks like I beat you to it, Lea."

Lea prepared to fire back a sarcastic retort, though he immediately stopped short the moment he spotted Kairi standing stiffly beside Aerith. "Oh… h-hey, Kairi," he greeted, his tone quite awkward compared to the cool confidence it usually carried. "L-long time no see, huh?"

Kairi took in a deep breath at this, her lips pressed into a thin line as she kept a cold, scrutinizing gaze on the former assassin. She knew, based on what she had been told, that he wasn't a Nobody anymore, nor did he carry any further ill will towards her or her friends. But as far as Kairi was concerned, that was all just hearsay. Because when she looked at Lea, she still saw Axel, the man who had kidnapped her, who had dragged her away from her home _again_, all for the sake of hurting one of her closest friends. And even if all that was said and done and in the past now, Kairi still couldn't help but harbor some mistrust towards him all the same. "Yeah," she answered flatly before pulling her sights away from him quite intentionally.

Lea seemed to start at this, almost as if he wanted to say something else to her, though he didn't get much of a chance to before Merlin intervened. "Well, its good to know the two of you are already acquainted with one another!" he exclaimed brightly, though it was clear he didn't know exactly _how _they were acquainted in the first place. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to check over the area I've prepared for the two of you to train in one final time. Be back in a jiff!" And with a simple wave of his wand, Merlin disappeared in a puff of magical smoke to do just that.

"And I should probably go out and find Leon and the others," Aerith remarked as she began to head out herself. "They're usually back by now, unless they got held up by something. Either way, I'll see the two of you around!"

Kairi almost spoke out to ask Aerith to stay out of nerves alone, though by the time she decided she didn't particularly want to be left alone with her former kidnapper, the older girl had already stepped out the door. An uncomfortable silence filled the room almost immediately, with Kairi quickly diverting her attention towards a nearby bookshelf in an attempt at distracting herself away from Lea. She hoped that the next several minutes until Merlin's return could pass in that silence, but of course, the former assassin couldn't just leave her well enough alone as she would have preferred.

"So…" Lea began, leaning against the nearby wall as he tried to put on a casual front. 'H-how ya been?"

"Fine," Kairi answered tersely, forcing both her expression and her tone to be apathetic and unyielding.

"You feel like you're up for this whole training thing?"

"Mm hm."

"You really think that wacky old coot can actually teach us anything when it comes to Keyblades?"

"Yes."

Lea's coy smile fell as even his attempt at reaching Kairi through humor fell. In fact, his attempts at striking up an actual conversation in general seemed to be getting him nowhere as she would barely even spare a simple glance over at him. So instead, he decided to go with a route he wasn't entirely used to taking: being genuine. "Ugh, Kairi, look," he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as he pressed against the wall. "I've been thinking about this ever since the old man told me we were gonna be training together, so I might as well just come out and say it: I… I'm sorry."

Kairi's frigid manner quickly broke at this, mostly from just how much it surprised her. "W-what?" she asked, finally looking over at him fully.

"I said I'm sorry," Lea huffed once more, clearly swallowing his pride as he spoke. All the same, his expression was earnest, perhaps even a bit remorseful as he elaborated on his initial apology. "Ya know, for the whole… kidnapping you thing. To be honest, I've sorta been sorry about it ever since I did it."

_If you really had been sorry, then you wouldn't have done it in the first place, _Kairi thought rather crossly upon hearing this, though even so, she said nothing as he continued.

"But since I can't really undo any of it now," Lea frowned, scratching the back of his neck as he looked down. "I want you to know that… well, I regret a lot of things that I've done in the past. And what I did to you is pretty close to the top of that long list of regrets." He paused for a beat as he crossed his arms, still clearly not satisfied, even despite his sincerity. "Just figured I'd lay all that out on the table before we really get the ball rolling here. So… are we good?"

Of course, Kairi didn't answer this right away as she continued staring at the former assassin, trying to wrap her head around everything he had just said. In her few brief past encounters with Lea—or rather, Axel, at the time—she had only ever seen him act callous and arrogant and cunning, a personality befitting one of Organization XIII's cold-hearted cronies. And yet here he was now, standing before her showing guilt, remorse, honesty—things that, even despite her still-lingering uneasiness, Kairi didn't doubt was genuine. Yet even so, she still didn't know if she had it in her heart to forgive him, especially when she remembered exactly why he had kidnapped her in the first place. The fear and danger he had brought to her was one thing; but the fact that all of it had happened simply out of Axel's malicious attempt to use her to get to Sora, to _hurt _Sora, was what Kairi just couldn't look past after just a few mere words of supposedly earnest regret.

And she was more than prepared to tell him exactly that too, with all of the honest, pent-up frustration and anger she had to give. Or at least she would have had not both of them suddenly disappeared into thin air entirely without warning.

Fortunately, they reappeared just as quickly, though when they did, they found themselves in what felt like a different world from the wizard's house entirely. The pair now stood within a vast, dense forest, with large, lush trees stretching out for as far as the eye could see, their wide branches reaching up towards a cloud-speckled blue sky. The entire wood was drenched in silence, no birds singing or crickets chirping as only the gentlest of breezes rustled the leaves of the trees. It was quite a beautiful place, though all the same, something about it felt strange, ethereal almost, and their abrupt arrival was more than enough to leave both Lea and Kairi in utter confusion as to how they got there in the first place.

"What in the worlds…?" the former assassin muttered incredulously as he looked around.

"Where are we?" Kairi wondered aloud, though her question didn't hang on the empty air for too long before receiving an answer.

"_A marvelous question, my dear!" _Merlin's voice suddenly broke through the otherwise quiet wood. The wizard himself was nowhere to be found, something that only bewildered his two new pupils even more as he began to explain. _"Behold! Your very own training grounds, created by yours truly, of course. In this magical realm, time stands completely still, which means that you'll both be able to hone your skills and abilities with almost no time at all passing in reality itself. Its quite brilliant, don't you agree?"_

"So what, we're just supposed to hang out here, knocking our Keyblades against a bunch of trees until you decide we're pros at it, gramps?" Lea asked, flashing a sardonic smirk as he called back to the unseen wizard.

"_I'd watch that sharp tongue of yours if I were you, my boy," _Merlin said, clearly disgruntled by the former assassin's playful teasing. _"You'd be much better off saving that cutting wit for the battlefield instead. Let that be your first lesson."_

"Excuse me, Merlin," Kairi cut in, much more politely. "But I'm afraid I don't really understand either. Exactly what do you want us to do here?"

"_Why, I figured that would be quite obvious," _Merlin remarked. _"A training grounds is for the purpose of training, is it not? So here, you'll both have ample time and space to do just that. In fact… I see no reason to not give the two of you a… running start, so to speak…"_

The pair exchanged a somewhat worried glance as the wizard's tone turned rather ominous. They immediately realized what he had meant, however, when out of nowhere, a sizable horde of shadows sprung up from the ground, surrounding them both instantly.

"Heartless!" Kairi gasped, startled as she took a frightened step back away from the twitching creatures.

"_Mirages of a weaker subset of them, yes," _the wizard mused from wherever he was. _"But still, they should prove to be a suitable test for me to gage the level of your current abilities. So, let's see what tricks both of you have up your sleeves! And remember: I'll be watching!"_

"Greaaat…" Lea deadpanned as the Heartless began to move in. "As if this whole thing couldn't get any _more_ creepy. But no problem; this is just a little case of pest control." The former assassin smirked as he called forth his pair of chakrams, sparks already bursting around them in anticipation for the battle ahead.

"_Ah, ah, ah!" _Before Lea could lash out, however, his usual weapons suddenly disappeared in two puffs of bright smoke almost as soon as Merlin spoke out. _"I'm afraid there is a strict policy against using any weapons ASIDE from Keyblades in this realm. After all, that's what you both are here to learn how to wield in the first place, correct?" _

"Ugh… you've gotta be kidding me, old man…" Lea groaned, exasperated as he took up a weaponless defensive stance instead.

"Keyblades…" Kairi repeated thoughtfully to herself as she looked between the pair of Heartless inching towards her and her own hand. Slowly, she reached forward, recalling the same movement she'd seen Sora and Riku pull off to summon their own Keyblades many times before. And yet, despite her own attempt at getting her own weapon to materialize, for some odd reason, it just wouldn't appear.

Lea found he was facing a similar issue, for much like Kairi, he had only ever summoned his own Keyblade once before. The effort and subsequent lack of a response frustrated the former assassin even further, to the point that he ended up simply kicking one of the Heartless that leapt at him first away with his boot. Still, it hardly kept the creatures as bay as they persisted towards the pair, neither of whom really had any sort of means of defending themselves against them with their Keyblades as absent as they were.

"This is stupid!" Lea finally shouted angrily, glaring up at the sky. "How are we supposed to fight these things if both of our Keyblades are no-shows, huh, gramps!?"

Surprisingly, Merlin didn't offer a response to this, not giving either of them any sort of hints on how to proceed through this perilous exam. So instead, Kairi decided that there was only one immediate option left for them now: running.

"Forget it!" she exclaimed, pushing her way through the horde of shadows to break through their wriggling line. "Just come on!"

Lea didn't argue as he followed after her, effectively fleeing from the Heartless as they ran deeper into the forest. Of course, the creatures made sure to give chase, diving into the shadows and speeding after them, forcing them to run even faster just to outdo them. Neither of them had the faintest idea as to where they were going, and even if they did, the woods itself seemed to constantly be shifting and changing all around them, disorienting them even more. Eventually, the forest maneuvered itself in such a way that it ended up cutting their escape off, trapping them between a tight thicket of trees on one side, and the encroaching group of Heartless on the other.

"Tch, cornered," Lea said, scowling the Heartless down as they both cautiously backed away from them as much as they could. "Got anymore brilliant ideas over there?"

"Hey, at least I _had _an idea!" Kairi countered harshly. "I guess we're just… gonna have to fight them with our Keyblades!"

"Oh, yeah," the former assassin scoffed, rolling his eyes as he held his hand out inseriously. "Because summoning a Keyblade out of thin air is just soooo easy and-" Lea cut himself off with a gasp when, completely out of the blue, his fiery Keyblade suddenly flashed into his grip just in the nick of time. "Well, I stand corrected," he remarked, a brazen grin crossing his features as he poised his weapon to attack. "_Now _we're talkin'…"

Without any further hesitation, the former assassin rushed forward, blindly and rather haphazardly swinging his Keyblade at the opposing Heartless. There was little skill or finesse to his movements, but his brute-force attacks still managed to get the job done in downing several of them, though still more came to take their place in the wake of their defeat. All the while, Kairi simply stood by, watching Lea fight with an increasing sense of rising fury. In truth, she found she was angry at several things all at once: at Lea for being able to summon his Keyblade with such ease, at herself for not being able to so much as even call upon hers, at this test as a whole for proving just how of a disadvantage she was at, even compared to the former assassin. And as one of the Heartless managed to skitter past Lea and make its way towards her instead, Kairi found herself unable to contain her anger over just how _unfair _ever single part of this whole ridiculous situation was any longer.

"Kairi!" Lea exclaimed in alarm as he noticed the shadow rush for her. "Look out!"

The former assassin moved to take out the attacking creature himself, though ultimately, he found he didn't have to. For in a flash almost too quick to catch, a bright, colorful Keyblade appeared in Kairi's hands and with one single, swift swing of its radiant edge, the Heartless before he was no more.

"W-whoa…" Lea remarked, genuinely impressed, though Kairi herself didn't take a moment to revel in her accomplishment. Instead, she continued acting on her frustration, rushing into the fray with Destiny's Embrace tight in her grip. Despite how mild-mannered she usually seemed, the former assassin couldn't deny that his fellow pupil had an odd sense of urgency and ferocity in the heat of battle. Things that not only completely caught him by surprise, but instantly forewarned him that, regardless of whatever he may have thought of her before, she was _not _one to be underestimated.

All the same, both of them were quick to fall into the steady flow of the fight, their stances keeping them back to back as they rounded out what was left of the surrounding Heartless. Overall, they did well to cover each other, though their swings were largely still uncalculated and unskilled, and their maneuvers sloppy to the point that their stamina was quickly drained. But fortunately, just as exhaustion was starting to wear down upon them both, the Heartless finally petered out, marking the end of their first, rather arduous test.

"_Well now, I'd call that a wrap!" _Merlin announced across the wood as the pair finally paused to catch their breath. _"For beginners, I must say that you both preformed admirably, though you certainly have much to learn in the art of the Keyblade. Fortunately for you, that's what I'm here for! All the same, I'll give you both a generous pass on your first exam. And might I add that you two make a surprisingly handy team! Training together will do both of you a great deal of good, I can already tell. And with that, I'll give you both a chance to rest up until our next exercise. For now, feel free to explore this realm, as well as your own abilities, to your heart's content. I'll be back to check in on you before you know it!"_

"Hey, no rush, gramps!" Lea called back to the wizard, even though he was no longer actively listening in on them. "Especially if you have any plans of sicking more Heartless on us."

Kairi almost laughed at this, though she was quick to stop herself, instead opting to let her Keyblade disappear as she turned her attention back on the forest instead. It seemed as though stiff silence was about to fall upon the pair again, but this time, Lea was quick to fill it instead.

"H-hey, so… back what I was trying to say before we were so _rudely _interupted," he began with a huff, though his manner soon turned serious once more. "I really am sorry about what I did to you. I… I know its probably not gonna be easy for you, but… I hope you can manage to forgive me for it _eventually_, even if that's not anytime soon."

"…You're right," Kairi sighed, crossing her arms. "It really _won't _be easy for me to forgive you." Surprise, and what almost looked like genuine dejection washed across Lea's face, and though Kairi wanted to revel in that, she found she ultimately couldn't as she continued slowly, sadly. "I'm just… trying to understand how you could do something like that, how you could drag me away from my home and try to use me against my best friend, and then just… turn around and act like none of that means anything anymore just because you _say _you want to help us! Everybody keeps _saying _that you've changed and that you're a good person now, but how do I _know _that?!"

"Because," Lea interjected, his tone and expression both surprisingly hard. "Maybe you'd understand if you knew _why _I was willing to go as far as kidnapping you in the first place."

"…W-what?" Kairi asked, both confused and appalled all at once.

Lea sighed, running a hand through his crimson locks. "I… I wanted to get Roxas back," he admitted, looking to the ground morosely. "It was all I could think about. I'm pretty sure losing that kid drove me half crazy. Crazy enough to come up with a hairbrained scheme that, if I'm being perfectly honest with myself, probably wouldn't have even worked. See, Roxas is Sora's Nobody, so, I thought… I thought that if Sora lost his heart…"

"…I-it would bring Roxas back?" Kairi finished, shuddering at the thought of Sora losing his heart again. Even so, her tone couldn't help but soften all the same when she heard the sheer _longing _in Lea's voice when he spoke about his lost friend. This was a side of the former assassin she had never seen before, one that she found she couldn't truly be angry with, no matter how much she wanted to be.

Lea nodded, though he shook his head soon after. "It was a dumb plan. The only reason I got you involved was because I knew you'd be more than enough to lure Sora in. But then Isa—I mean, _Saïx_ had to go and stick his nose where it didn't belong and—everything just got screwed up from there. Though I guess, looking back, the whole thing was pretty screwed up in general, huh?"

"I can't argue with that…" Kairi frowned, rubbing her arm.

"Wanna know the worst part of it all?" Lea asked, leaning up against a nearby tree as he looked deeper into the forest. "For the longest time, I tried telling myself that what I did was what Roxas would have wanted. Guess it was the only real way I could justify it all to myself. But… knowing what I do now, I don't think that could be any further from the truth."

Needless to say that Kairi had no idea how to respond to any of this. She had never really considered any sort of personal motivation behind Axel's actions before, and until now, she had never cared to. She had always just assumed he had been acting on the orders of the twisted Organization he had been a part of. But now that she knew that it hadn't been for them, but for Roxas instead, it was as though her entire perspective on the former assassin had shifted. Kairi still wasn't sure if she was willing to go as far as to excuse his slights against either herself or Sora, but she was willing to admit something that she hadn't before. That perhaps, in all her close-minded anger, she had only believed that _she _was being treated unfairly by having to train alongside Lea in the first place, without even realizing that she had been the one to treat _him _unfairly all the while.

"Ax—_Lea_," Kairi quickly corrected herself, her tone even and sincere as she addressed him. "To be honest, I… I'm still not sure if I'm ready to forgive you just yet."

"Hey, no worries," Lea said with an amiable wave of his hand. "I get it. Take all the time you need."

Kairi couldn't hold back a small sigh at this. He really was quite hard to dislike, though not even for a lack of trying. "Thank you," she nodded earnestly. "Still, just because I'm not forgiving you yet, doesn't mean that I'm not willing to meet you halfway. Which means… I'm willing to be part of the 'handy team' that Merlin said we make," she extended a hand out towards him, offering him a small, if not reserved smile. "That is, if _you're_ up for it."

"One thing you should know about me," Lea grinned, genuinely glad this time as he met her hand in a solid, solidifying shake. "Is that I'm up for _anything_. Got it memorized?"

"Yeah," Kairi chuckled, amused. "I do."

The former assassin's smile widened at this, though it quickly faded out as their handshake ended and he looked down to her again. An odd sense of concentration filled his expression as he stared at her in scrutinizing silence, almost as if he was searching for something he had lost. Admittedly, his tight focus on her made Kairi somewhat uncomfortable, which was why she didn't hesitate to speak up and address it just when it felt as though he had been staring for too long.

"Um, Lea?" she asked, tilting her head in confusion. "What are you looking at?"

"H-huh?" Lea blinked, shaking his head as if to clear it. "Uh, i-its nothing. I just… I could have sworn I saw…" he trailed off, his brow furrowing in thought before he shook his head once more. "Never mind. I think I was just trying to remember something I forgot."

"Oh?" Kairi implored, somewhat curious. "Like what?"

Lea frowned, genuinely perplexed as he glanced back over at her again. "Don't know," he said truthfully. There was a hint of what sounded like sadness in his tone, though he was quick to replace it with his usual casual manner as he began walking on ahead into the woods. "I'm sure it'll come back to me sooner or later, though. For now…" he grinned wryly as he glanced back over his shoulder at her. "The old man said this whole place was basically ours to explore. You feel like taking him up on that offer?"

"One thing you should know about me," Kairi quipped, essentially mimicking the former assassin with a playful smirk to match his own. "Is that I'm _also _up for anything."

"I'll make sure to get that memorized then," Lea laughed as he began leading the way onward. Kairi couldn't help but chuckle herself as she followed after him, realizing that she was much more at ease than she had been in quite some time. When she really thought about it, it was less what the former assassin himself had said that had led them to the relatively stable place they were in now, though that had been part of it. Instead, Kairi quickly realized, what had brought about the newfound fledgling camaraderie between them had been her deciding to let go of her own resentment and anger, perhaps not entirely, but enough to make peace between the two of them. It was a humbling thought to say the least, to make some sort of amends with her now-repentant kidnapper. But for the sake of their important training, and perhaps even her own peace of mind, it was a necessary sacrifice to make, for now at least.

All the same, the thought of just how strange, perhaps even impossible it was that she was now working alongside someone like Lea, who had chased her, captured her, effectively caged her, had all but drifted to the back of Kairi's mind as she easily walked alongside him through the woods. What thoughts filled her mind instead, was the possibility that perhaps someday, with enough time and enough effort, the former assassin might actually be able to prove to her that he deserved her genuine forgiveness. They were still quite a ways off from being anything close to actual friends, but still, there was one thing Kairi couldn't deny when she considered Lea's earnest attempts at apologizing and setting things right:

It was a start. A small start, but a meaningful one all the same. One that she would make sure, above all else, to get memorized.

* * *

**So yeah! Sorta kicking things off between these two! Fun stuff! I do plan on going back to them every so often to see how they're progressing, so in those chapters we'll get to see not only more interactions, but more of the Restoration Committee for any of ya'll who are into those FF character (idk I don't know anything about FF so please don't ask me to put any additional characters outside of those into this, because 1. I don't know any of them outside of the ones I've seen in KH games and 2. I already got enough characters to juggle as is lol) Anyway, I was gonna make this chapter a good bit longer by cutting back to Sora, Donald, and Goofy, but I figured I'd keep the focus on Kairi and Lea here, so we'll see what they're up to next time around, perhaps even take a little trip to Twilight Town? ;) I should say that the next chapter might not be coming for awhile though, since I'm going on vacation soon (to Disney World, where else?) So hopefully I'll come back all inspired to dive headfirst into the Disney chapters of this! Anyway, enough of my lengthy rambling. Please don't forget to leave a REVIEW letting me know what you think. Until next time! :) **


	9. Chapter 8: Lazy Afternoon Streets

_Yay! I'm back from vacation with more of this! And honestly, I really liked how this one turned out. I wasn't expecting it to be much, but while I was writing it I just got on a roll with it and really enjoyed working on it! So hopefully you all will enjoy it too! Let's get started!_

* * *

_Chapter 8: Lazy Afternoon Streets_

_Taste, what a bittersweet,  
All my, all my life_

Sora stared down at the small, yet surprisingly complex device—properly known as a Gummiphone—he held in his hand, his thoughts filled with all of the many points that had been brought up in the call that had just come to an end. The discovery of the Gummiphone itself, which had been packed away into the new set of clothes the Keybearer was now wearing, had effectively been the gateway to a whole host of pertinent information for the otherwise momentarily directionless trio.

First was the introduction to the phone from Chip and Dale, with the pair of engineers detailing its various functions and features that would no doubt make it a very useful tool in the trio's upcoming search for the thirteen Keys. From there, however, the call had been intercepted by Ienzo, an apparent former member of Organization XIII who had then gone by the name of Zexion. Neither Sora, Donald, nor Goofy recognized him, despite Ienzo's claims of them meeting once before. Still, the researcher had made sure to assure them that, regardless of his former ties to the Organization, he, and the few other former members working alongside him, wished to offer whatever help they could to their side instead now. Naturally, the trio was somewhat suspicious, maybe even a bit distrustful of their motives. But if someone like Axel could turn away from the Organization and try to set their past wrongs right by aiding the cause of light, who was to say that Ienzo and his friends couldn't as well?

Furthermore, the information and research Ienzo had provided them with was quite intriguing indeed. It was a revelation that Sora had largely already known: the idea that his heart wasn't entirely his own. After all, he was already fully aware that Roxas, or at least whatever remained of him, resided far within its depths and that he had for quite some time now. But even so, the reminder of this fact had sent the Keybearer's mind reeling with a myriad of thoughts and feelings concerning his Nobody. His Nobody, whom he had never really gotten a chance to know or befriend, but had always wanted to. His Nobody, who, by all accounts, couldn't even exist as his own person so long as their hearts were tied and tethered together as tightly as they currently were.

And it was those thoughts that lingered the most persistently in Sora's head even after the call concluded and Donald and Goofy still remained by his side in the immediate aftermath of it. Only a small beat of silence permeated the Gummi Ship's cockpit as the phone's screen turned black, though Sora was quick to fill it as he voiced his newfound devout resolve to his companions. "I have to find a way to help Roxas," he said, not glancing up as he spoke much more sternly than he usually did. "The others are following Aqua's heart, so I'll follow Roxas' heart!"

"Well, gawrsh, Sora, ya know we're up for anything ya wanna do," Goofy said with a small, if not somewhat befuddled smile. "But aren't we supposed'ta be lookin' for them Keys?"

"We can look for them on the way!" Sora insisted brightly and he meant it. After all, looking for the Keys was their primary mission, and an incredibly important one for the sake and safety of practically every world in existence. But for Sora, saving his lost Nobody, figuring out a way to let Roxas be every bit as real and alive as he was, was almost every bit as important as claiming each and every one of the thirteen Keys was. "What do you guys say?"

"You heard Goofy," Donald concluded with a knowing smirk. "We're with you for anything you wanna do!"

"That's right," Goofy agreed as Jiminy also readily nodded from his spot on the armrest of Sora's seat. "Trust the guidance that your heart gives ya, Sora. That's what Master Yen Sid said."

"So, where to?" Donald asked, eager.

Sora briefly smiled between his companions, more than happy to know that he had their support on this endeavor. And while he wasn't entirely sure, he liked to believe that Roxas would also be quite thankful for their help too. "Oh, that's easy!" he grinned, standing as he swiftly summoned his Keyblade and aimed it towards the vast expanse of stars before them. It was as if he could feel Roxas' heart stirring within his own, telling him exactly where he wanted and needed to go. And Sora knew beyond any doubts that he owed it to his Nobody to follow that call to wherever it might lead. "To Twilight Town!"

* * *

_The top clock tower provided the very best view of Twilight Town by far. The structure rose so high above the sunset soaked city streets and buildings that it gave a perfect prospective of just above everything below it. Which was why it was no wonder that the group had long since singled that lofty perch out as their favorite spot to unwind and relax at the end of their usual lazy, carefree summer days. This particular evening was one such example, likely one of the last chances they'd get to come up here as the summer vacation was soon set to come to its expected end. _

_Hayner, Pence, Olette, and Roxas all swung their legs out over the edge of the tower as they sat and enjoyed their sea salt ice cream, all four of them trying to ignore the unanimous sense of disappointment their shared in their missed trip to the beach. Even so, the evening was warm and peaceful and quiet, enough to set all of them at ease. Well, most of them. _

_Roxas was the only one of the group who hadn't touched his ice cream since they'd climbed to the top of the tower. He usually enjoyed the sweet yet salty treat immensely but today his thoughts were elsewhere, awash in worry and confusion over the strange, practically unexplainable events of the past few days alone. The bizarre white creatures, the hooded thief who had made off with their hard-earned beach munny, his persistent dreams of that brown-haired boy he didn't know but who seemed so very familiar; all of these things just _had _to be connected. But as to how, Roxas hadn't the faintest idea. _

"_It's melting." Olette's voice broke him out of his swirling thoughts. Sure enough, his ice cream was dripping, though he hardly cared as he glanced over at his friends, seeing that they were enjoying their own treats in peaceful silence. As if they believed nothing in the world was wrong at all when something clearly was._

"…_Sorry…" Roxas muttered, still rather guilty that he had ended up ruining their long-sought after day at the beach. _

"_Cheer up already!" Hayner urged in his usual blunt way. _

"_That was definitely weird though…" Pence noted, referring to the thief none of them had seen save for Roxas. _

"_Strange…" Olette agreed with a nod. _

"_You said it," Roxas sighed absently as he looked out at the impressive expanse before him. He closed his eyes for a moment, finally taking a bite out of his ice cream. It had indeed started to melt a little, but it was still just as delicious as it ever was, even if the flavor almost seemed bittersweet in a way that he couldn't quite place. _

"_Its been awhile since we've all hung out like this, huh?" he asked with something of a small, sad smile. _

"_Well, we've all had our share of drama lately," Axel shrugged, narrowly skirting around what all three of them were surely thinking. "By the way, I just remembered," her turned slightly towards the pair sitting alongside him. "Did you know you should be checking your ice cream sticks?"_

"_Really?" _ asked, leaning forward slightly. _

"_Yeah," Axel glanced down at his own half-eaten bar. "Once you finish your ice cream, see if the stick says WINNER." He took another bite of his own treat, only to find a blank stick below it. "…Not that I've ever seen one myself."_

"_So… what happens if you win?" Roxas asked, curious. _

"_I'll tell ya… that's… a good question."_

"_What, you don't know?"_

"_Well, its gotta be something nifty if you're a WINNER, right?"_

"_Hm… I guess…"_

_Hearing the amusing banter between the pair was easily enough to elicit a light, fond chuckle out of _, who soon broke into the conversation as she glanced out towards the sinking sun before them. "Wow…" she said, aptly amazed by the view. "The sun's beautiful today…" Roxas and Axel joined her in admiring the bright, yet fading glow, a sense of contentment mingled with hints of longing settling upon all three of them as they took it in. "I've seen a lot of sunsets, but today's puts them all to shame," _ noted warmly, yet sadly, almost as if she knew something the other two didn't. Which, as they'd eventually come to find out, she most certainly did. "If only things could stay like this forever…"_

"_Say…" Roxas spoke up, filled with a sudden, impulsive idea inspired by what _ had just said. "What if we all just… took off?"_

"_What?" _ asked, confused as Axel also raised an eyebrow at him. _

"_If we ran, I bet we could always be together," Roxas smiled, hoping that such a plan could somehow work, as lofty and impossible as it might have seemed. _

"_But… we have nowhere to run…" _ shook her head. _

"…_Yeah…" Roxas sighed, realizing that such a dream was far too good to ever really be true. "I guess you're right…"_

"_What's important isn't that we hang out with each other every day," Axel interjected, his expression unreadable as he stared out at the sunset. _

"_As long as we keep each other in our thoughts, we'll never be apart, right?" _ finished, her tone sweet and hopeful. "We've got it memorized, Axel." _

"_Good," Axel nodded, finally smiling, if only slightly. _

"_I'll have these moments memorized for a long time…" _ said softly, almost to herself. "Forever…"_

"_Me too," Roxas agreed, as if it was a vow to both of his best friends. A vow to hold onto all of the warmth and happiness these simple moments they shared together contained for as long as he possibly could and perhaps even after that. "Forever…"_

"_Hey, Roxas?"_

"_Roxas?"_

"_Ro_as?"_

"_Sora?_

"Sora!"

"Huh?" Sora flinched, blinking rapidly as he snapped back into the present at Donald's impatient call. Slightly disoriented, the Keybearer glanced back towards the clock tower, remembering that they had just arrived in Twilight Town, though he couldn't really recall much immediately after that. That is, save for the coupled memories he had just somehow seen.

"You've been starin' up at the tower for an awfully long time now…" Goofy noted with clear concern. "Did ya see somethin' up there?"

"W-well, yeah! I saw-" Sora stopped short as he finally looked away from the tower only to glance down at his own hands instead. And when he did, he was quite shocked to find they were clad in a pair of familiar black gloves, his arms covered by the telltale long sleeves of a dark Organization cloak. He nearly started at this until he happened to catch sight of his reflection in one of the nearby shop windows, only to find that it wasn't his reflection at all.

_It was Roxas'. _

"Sora?" Goofy stepped in front of his view of the window, still clearly worried as Donald shared his concern. "Are you ok?"

Sora didn't answer right away, instead holding his hand up once again only to find that it was his once more. His reflection, however, still wasn't, as he briefly leaned over to look past Goofy to look at it, _only to find Roxas still staring back at him instead of himself. _

"Y-yeah…" the Keybearer breathed, somewhat unsteady as he shook his head and took a small step back. He gasped, startled as he backed into another building, _still seeing Roxas reflecting in the glass in place of himself, mirroring every bit of confusion he currently felt. _"I… I'm fine," he lied, knowing that this wasn't fine, that something was wrong, _that he had no idea what was happening to him or why or how to make it all stop or—_

"You don't _look _fine," Donald spoke up, sending Sora a rather suspicious look. And indeed, he didn't as his usually tanned skin had paled considerably, his forehead covered in a thin sheen of noticeable sweat as he pressed up against the side of side of the building, breathing heavily all the while. Rare was it for either Donald or Goofy to see Sora in such a rattled, shaken, almost frightened state, especially in a moment of relative calm such as this, but whatever the reasoning behind it was, it was clear he had no intentions of revealing it.

"W-well, I _am _fine," he insisted as firmly as he could, even if his voice still wavered as he said it. "I'm _fine_," he said again, trying to convince himself this time as he properly stood, refusing to so much as glance at any reflective surface as he tried his best to press on ahead.

Of course, neither Donald nor Goofy were entirely convinced, but they both knew better than to press Sora any further on something like this. And sure enough, for the most part he seemed to be bouncing back just fine from whatever had happened to him as he led the way down market street towards the tram common, with the pair soon deciding to join in step behind him.

"Gawrsh," Goofy said in a somewhat haphazard attempt at changing the subject. "You know, we forgot to fill Master Yen Sid on everything else that happened in Olympus. Should we go back?"

"What, you mean about Maleficent and Xigbar?" Sora asked, more than glad to discuss something, _anything _else.

"_And _about what _really _happened when those Heartless attacked at the temple!" Donald huffed, sending the Keybearer a critical glare. "Which we were _about _to tell him until _you _stopped us and made us lie to him about it!"

"It wasn't a lie!" Sora retorted, though he was quick to recant as the magician's disapproving scowl deepened. "O-ok, _maybe _it sort of was. But that doesn't matter! What happened back there _really _isn't as big of a deal as you guys like to think it is."

"Well, shucks, call me crazy, but you nearly losin' yourself to darkness _does _kinda seem like a big deal to us, Sora…" Goofy frowned, his tone nowhere near as harsh as Donald's, though there was still a sense of admonishment to it.

"I-it was an accident, ok?!" Sora said rather defensively. "And neither of you have anything else to worry about because I'm _not _going to let it happen again. Which is why we _don't _have to tell Master Yen Sid o-or Riku, or anyone else about it, ok? Heck, same goes for all the other stuff that happened in Olympus. The others already have enough on their plates as it is. Why go stressing them out? The three of us know how to handle a couple of old adversaries, right?"

"Hm… yeah, I guess…" Donald hesitantly agreed.

"But doesn't that thing Pete said bother ya?" Goofy asked thoughtfully.

"About the black box?" the magician chimed in.

"Come on, we're talking about _Pete _here," Sora deadpanned, casually hanging his hands behind his head. "That means its probably no big deal."

"I don't know…" Donald said, still clearly apprehensive. "Maybe we should-"

"Oh cool!" Sora suddenly interupted as the trio stepped into the town's open market, with the usual trolley slowly making its rounds throughout it. "The trams are still here!"

"Sora, it hasn't been _that _long since the last time we were here," the magician pointed out as the Keybearer excitedly ran on ahead a bit.

"Well, it feels like it has," Sora noted, glancing back at his companions.

"Maybe you're feelin' what Roxas feels 'cause he misses home," Goofy suggested.

Sora stilled at this, instantly realizing that this could not only easily be true, but could possibly explain the strange sights and feelings he had been experiencing ever since they arrived in Twilight Town. Briefly, he looked down towards a small puddle of water on the ground beside him, and _as he caught another glimpse of Roxas' reflection in place of his own, his heart suddenly ached with what was undeniably a pang of genuine homesickness. With a desire to be a part of the world that was filled with memories he treasured so dearly once more. _

"I-I… I saw Roxas in the sleeping worlds, actually…" Sora said to his companions, knowing that this would be much easier to explain to them than what was happening to him now. Largely since he had no idea how to explain any of it himself. "It was like…" he trailed off briefly, fully setting his sights on his Nobody's reflection and wishing that it was more than just that alone. "It was like I was seeing into his heart for the very first time…" Of course, he omitted the fact that he was practically feeling exactly the same at that very moment as he had during his brief encounter with Roxas in the sleeping worlds. Sad, hopeful, remorseful, and most of all, absolutely _overwhelmed _by memories and feelings that he knew weren't his own, but he still knew were precious and important all the same.

He had seen Roxas' memories then and he was seeing them now. Perhaps being in a place like Twilight Town, where Roxas had spent so much time and had so many connections to, was stirring them up within his heart or perhaps it was something else altogether, but all the same, Sora knew that was the best explanation he could think of. On one hand, it was a reassuring sign, one that could possibly lead them to some sort of clues on how to help Roxas, the very thing they had come here to do. But on the other hand, Sora couldn't deny that it all still unnerved him. In a way, it felt like he was walking around in someone else's shoes, even if they were still very much his own. Each and every glance he saw of Roxas' reflection filling in place of where his own should be was like a grim, urgent, almost painful reminder that his heart wasn't entirely his own, that _Roxas was still trapped inside of it, that he needed to find a way to save him and why hadn't he saved him yet, why was it taking so long, why was Roxas apparently not allowed to be his own person when Sora was and _why had this not bothered him this much until now?

Sora took in a tight, shuddering breath in an attempt to silence this racing, almost frantic train of thought as he placed a hand against both his head and his heart. He quickly turned around to face his companions, throwing on a quick, fake smile to set them at ease as he voiced an innocent enough assumption. "So… if Roxas feels something, then that means we must be in the right place." Donald and Goofy nodded their solid agreement with this theory, helping to set Sora at ease, even as he looked down at his Nobody's reflection once again. "Don't worry, Roxas," he said, hoping to assure not only Roxas (if he could even hear him at all), but himself as well. "I'm gonna find you. I promise."

"_**Do you seek our liege?"**_

_That voice, unidentifiable, yet undeniable as it was, reverberated through his entire body, its stark familiarity resonated deeply at his core. _Sora gasped, stumbling back as if the voice itself had physically struck him. Which honestly wouldn't have been that surprising considering all of the other oddities he had been experiencing lately.

"What is it?" Donald asked, noticing Sora's sudden shock just as much as Goofy had.

The Keybearer had only just managed to open his mouth to answer before an all-too familiar clamor filled the air behind him, heralding the arrival of a group of unmistakably dangerous creatures. "Nobodies!" Goofy exclaimed warningly as him and Donald quickly called upon their respective weapons. Likewise, Sora spun around to see a sizable horde of writhing, wriggling Dusks materialize out of the darkness as they so often did. And despite the fact that he was still rather disoriented and on edge as a whole, it didn't take long for Sora to summon the Kingdom Key and fall in step in battle alongside his companions.

Dusks were a common, predictable type of foe, one that the trio was more than accustomed to dealing with by now. Which was why it fortunately didn't take them too long to cut their way through the swath of Nobodies with few problems. All the same, throughout the fight, Sora couldn't shake the feeling that something was off even more than he had originally thought, a feeling that he finally voiced almost as soon as the very last Dusk had been vanquished.

"What was that voice…?" he wondered largely to himself as the trio took a quick breather after the skirmish was through. "I know I heard it…"

"A voice?" Donald exchanged a confused glance with Goofy. "I didn't hear any voice."

"You sure it wasn't the wind?" the captain asked with a fretful frown. "Or somethin' else?"

"I'm… pretty sure…" Sora trailed off, quickly realizing that he _wasn't _actually sure. In fact, he really hadn't been sure of anything at all since they arrived here. But the one thing that he _was _certain of was that Roxas' heart, however hidden away inside his own as it might have been, was indeed reacting to being back in Twilight Town. It was as if Roxas himself was showing him his faded memories, signaling him with his constant yet distant reflections, sending him a message that he regrettably, frustratingly, had _no _idea how to interpret. "What are you trying to tell me…?" Sora whispered so quietly that his concerned companions could barely hear him as he looked towards a nearby window bearing his reflection. Or rather, for Sora at least, _Roxas' _reflection, which of course, only mimicked his own words right back at him, providing no answers, no clues, _nothing_.

Aptly bewildered and easily worried by the Keybearer's odd behavior as they were, Donald and Goofy were more than poised to ask him about it. However, before they had a chance to, another peril was beginning to course its way through the market, with a familiar young trio trying their best to outrun its dangerous onslaught.

"Where'd _they _come from!?" Hayner shouted, leading the way as Pence and Olette trailed right behind him.

"L-let's get the ice cream later!" Olette cried, narrowly dodging the attacking shadows trying to nip at her heels.

"What?" Pence shouted, trying to hear over the noisy din of the screeching creatures. "Hold up!"

Sure enough, the trio soon rounded the nearby corner, finally coming into Sora, Donald, and Goofy's view as they fearfully fled from an unseen threat. "Hey! Hayner, Pence, Olette!" Sora called out to the trio in bright greeting, quite glad to see them. However, his excitement was quickly vanquished as soon as he spotted what they were running from: a thick swarm of Heartless, shadows darting through the thin streets and corridors by the hundreds, clustered together by sheer darkness alone.

"W-what is _that_?!" Goofy exclaimed, alarmed by such a terrifying congregation of monsters.

Likewise, the Twilight Town trio was equally horrified, though their dread was set to ease almost instantly as they happened to spot the group already prepping themselves for battle against the Heartless. "Heeey! Sora!" Hayner shouted, waving frantically to the Keybearer and not even bothering to stop as they all hurriedly rushed past him. "Hello! And Goodbye!"

"Go!" Sora called out after the group, summoning his Keyblade as they went to seek safety. "We've got this!"

Donald and Goofy also called upon their own weapons, all three of them watching with ready anticipation as the horde of Heartless raised itself high above them with the intent of crashing down upon them in full, violent force. Fortunately, the trio had the wits about them to dodge this heavy attack, scattering briefly before reconvening to strike the rampaging group of shadows at any open opportunity. Together, the creatures were certainly a formidable force, but a single strike to their impressive numbers proved effective in taking several of the weaker Heartless that composed them out at once. Working well between Donald's faced-paced casting and Goofy's tight wall of defensive blocking, Sora decisively cut straight through the swarm with his Keyblade, essentially cutting the entire force clean in half. With the horde as split as it currently was, the Keybearer and the magician tag-teamed on launching as many fire spells as they possibly could at the two remaining halves of the whole, whittling down the Heartless even more as the captain provided them with ample cover while taking out any lost stragglers. In the process, the struggling shadows got plenty of hits and scratches in against the trio as well, though they were easily ignored in favor of taking the marauding creatures out as quickly as they possibly could. And sure enough, that's exactly what they did as they powered through and tore their way through the last large swath of Heartless that tried to ram into them, countering its rushing attack with a unified, well-timed strike of their own. Unable to keep itself together any longer, the horde quickly fell apart, the few remaining Heartless deciding to make their hasty retreat back into the shadows, lest they face further obliteration at the hands of Keybearer and his companions.

With the threat of the Heartless finally defeated, the scattered townsfolk quickly returned to the now-safe market, falling back into their usual commerce and business with tentative ease. Likewise, Hayner, Pence, and Olette soon filed out of their hiding spot, though they were all careful to take a close look around to make sure the shadows were truly gone as they properly met up with Sora, Donald, and Goofy.

"Nice fightin'!" Hayner grinned, playfully mimicking the Keybearer's swings. "Thanks, Sora."

"Hayner, Pence, Olette! It's been ages!" Sora exclaimed warmly as he ran up to them.

"What?" Hayner raised an eyebrow. "It hasn't been _that _long."

"Ya see?" Donald pointed out, reminding Sora of what he could hardly forget. That Roxas' feelings and thoughts were echoing so strongly here. Perhaps even stronger than his own thoughts and feelings were.

"Donald! Goofy! How are you?" Olette greeted the pair with a bright smile.

"Howdy there, Olette," Goofy grinned back with a wave.

"We're good," Donald nodded heartily.

"So if you guys are here," Pence cut in, curious as ever. "Does that mean weird stuff's going down again?"

"You kidding, Pence?" Hayner asked, hands on his hips. "When have we ever seen a tornado of shadowy blobs before?! It's not 'weird'. Its _unprecedented._"

"Hm… I guess it is," Pence mused. "The creatures from the last time were bright white. These things must be new. Man, I can't wait to get sluthin' on them!"

"We're already done with the school project, silly," Olette interjected with a chuckle before she turned back to Sora. "Whatever's going on, you wouldn't be here unless you had a good reason."

"Which is…?" Hayner asked, expectantly.

"Well, actually," Sora began, a bit hesitantly, though he had no real idea where that hesitance was coming from. "We're… looking for Roxas."

The Twilight Town trio exchanged an intrigued, though ultimately uncertain look. "Roxas?" Olette asked, tilting her head.

"That's funny…" Hayner said after a moment of thought. "I don't know any Roxas, but the name sounds familiar."

"Maybe we bumped into him somewhere," Pence guessed with a shrug.

"Uh… that's _one _way to put it…" Donald noted as him and Goofy exchanged a somewhat pitied frown. Likewise, Sora felt a beat of genuine sadness echo through his heart upon hearing that _they didn't remember him, barely even knew who he was, when he remembered them, recalled every bit of the time they had spent together, however fabricated and falsified as it might have been, as if it been the realest thing in all the worlds. It made sense that they wouldn't, but even so, the truth of it still stung all the same. _

"Actually," Goofy spoke up, addressing the trio. "Roxas mighta been friends with another version of ya." At this, the captain pulled a photo out of his pocket, one that they had received quite some time ago, but had made sure to hang onto ever since, and presented it to the group.

"This photograph…" Olette started softly as Hayner took the picture so they could further inspect it.

"Yeah, we've got the same one," Pence agreed, pulling out their own copy of the photo. Sure enough, both images were almost exactly the same, depicting the three of them, posing in front of the gates to the old mansion. Familiar to be sure, though there was one key difference between them. Namely that Roxas was present and smiling right alongside the trio in one, and in the other, he was glaringly absent.

"Oh yeah!" Hayner exclaimed in sudden realization as he looked between both photos. "The other Twilight Town!"

"Its like one of those 'spot the difference' puzzles…" Pence noted, also glancing over the images a second time. "Except _really _easy."

"I guess in that town, we're friends with this 'Roxas' person," Olette assumed and Sora had to practically resist the urge to nod insistently when she did.

"Sora, let us help you track Roxas down," Hayner said as Pence and Olette chipped in their eager agreement.

"R-really?" Sora asked, surprised, but more than glad to hear it.

"Sure," Hayner nodded as he looked down at the photo once more. "He seems like a pretty cool guy."

"Yeah, he is," the Keybearer smiled, his heart warmed in more ways than one by the group's willingness to help someone they didn't even really know. And while he wasn't entirely sure, Sora couldn't help but also think that Roxas himself was quite grateful for their aid when he caught yet another glimpse of his Nobody's reflection, _only to see it finally smiling back at him. _

"Great, then let's all go ask around town," Pence suggested, largely since none of them really had any concrete leads so far. "If alternate-us knew Roxas, then maybe alternate-other folks did too."

"Sora, maybe you three should go to the place in the photo," Olette added, handing the first picture back over to Goofy. "It's the old mansion. The three of us will cover places in town while you guys can look for clues over there."

"Ok!" Sora nodded, more than ready and resolved to start piecing together some way to help Roxas. "Thanks. Oh! By the way, I almost forgot; I got this phone thingy that takes pictures!" He pulled the Gummiphone out of his pocket, remembering that Jiminy had detailed photography as one of its many, _many _functions, most of which he didn't quite understand just yet, though fortunately using it to take pictures was an easy enough concept for him to grasp. "Wanna snap a quick photo while we're all here?"

The others were all quick to hop on board this idea and in no time at all, they had all set up in a collective group pose near one of the market area's wide brick walls. However, it only took a moment or so of them all holding said pose before Pence pointed out something the rest of them had happened to overlook. "Uh… wait. Who's taking it?"

Of course, none of them had really considered such a small, yet important fact, so the decision was made just as simply: by drawing straws. The results ultimately landed Donald with the task, though he was rather set off by having to stand out of the photo, even as Goofy volunteered to step out alongside him. Even so, the magician fumbled around with the Gummiphone, grumbling angrily to himself all the while before finally making his frustrations quite known to the group posing before him. "Grr… why do _I _have to take it!?"

"Hey, tough luck," Sora shrugged, keeping up his casual pose. "You drew the short straw."

"It's ok!" Goofy chuckled, working to diffuse his friend's anger as he so often did. "I'm sittin' outta the photo with ya, Donald."

"Then _you _take the photograph!" Donald huffed, shoving the Gummiphone into the captain's hands. Of course, Goofy agreed to do so much more easily than the magician had, even as Donald stomped over to join the others, striking a still-clearly petulant pose as he did.

"Everybody smile! A-hyuck!" Goofy grinned, holding up the phone to snap the photo. Despite the slight bickering beforehand, the actual process of taking the picture was quick and easy, and soon enough, the entire group was gathered around the Gummiphone, admitting the memento together.

"Wow, that came out great!" Pence exclaimed as Hayner and Olette nodded their satisfied agreement.

"Gawrsh, ya know, it sorta reminds me of the other picture," Goofy noted, briefly pulling out the photo featuring Roxas and the Twilight Town trio once more. The two photos, while quite different, were certainly comparable on some level, though Sora in particular could not deny the contrasting senses of both connectedness and _longing _as he looked between them both. Connectedness to the friends standing by his side right here and right now _and a longing to be with the friends he was lost to and had lost once again. _And strange as it might have been, the Keybearer felt oddly compelled to do something about them both.

"Hey, maybe once we do find Roxas, we could take another picture with _all _of us, together," Sora suggested with a small, hopeful smile.

"Oh, yeah! It'll be like both pictures combined!" Pence chimed in just as eagerly.

"I like the sound of that," Olette nodded warmly.

"Sounds like a plan," Hayner agreed. "But if we ever wanna take that picture, we gotta actually get Roxas here in the first place. So for now, we'd better start asking around. You guys start by checking the old mansion. We'll catch up."

"Got it," Sora said, just as resolved as ever to do what he could to help Roxas out. The Twilight Town trio seemed to share that resolve, each of them carrying the same noble mission as they parted ways: to find a way to bring Roxas back to the life he _should _have had, the life he _deserved_, no matter what, or where, that way might be.

* * *

All throughout their relatively brief trip through Twilight Town, Sora found himself bombarded with even more of Roxas' memories and emotions at practically every twist and turn along the way. His surprise and shock with the phenomenon had largely worn off by now, to the point that he had come to anticipate it, perhaps even appreciate it as it gave him deeper insight into the life and personality of his Nobody that he had only ever seen brief glimpses of before.

It was for that reason that he paid close attention to the scattered memories that filled the sunset streets, more or less ignoring Donald and Goofy's casual conversation as he trailed behind them slightly. Sora knew he wanted to save Roxas; that was an understatement if anything. But the chance to get to know him better, even in a rather indirect way like this, then that was something he wasn't about to pass up. True, it was still rather disconcerting to pass by mirrors and windows and not see his own reflection following alongside him, and he couldn't deny the spark of unknown fear that ran through him whenever he happened to look down at his attire and catch a peek of Roxas' black Organization cloak instead of his own new clothes. But for the most part, Sora did his best to ignore all that and focus on Roxas, his memories, and whatever message he might have been trying to communicate to him through them.

Passing through the rest of the tram common had allowed him glimpses into _warm summer days, odd jobs meant to earn them munny for the beach, heading to the shop to buy ice cream after a long day of hectic missions. _Even just passing by the sandlot showed him _the Struggle, taking Seifer down a peg to claim the trophy and its gemstones they had all split up to share, Axel showing up to bring him back to the Organization he had willingly, angrily abandoned. _But most of all was the clock tower, _a place so special, where the three of them always came together at the end of every day to talk, laugh, and sometimes just think. It was where ice cream was enjoyed, sunsets were watched, secrets were shared, feelings hurt and friendships built and repaired. It was where they had always come back to, where they had connected the most. In a way, it almost felt more like home than anywhere else. _

In just about every single memory of the clock tower that Roxas had to offer, Sora found that Axel was usually the most prominent face to appear. _He had shown him the 'icing on the cake', had brought him out of the initial quiet revere of his early existence, had taught him about fun and friendship and all the feelings they'd supposedly never get to know as Nobodies. _But just as reoccurring as Axel was in these memories, there was another figure, a girl, he presumed, though her face was always obscured completely by the shadows of her hood. _She was also part of the Organization, her and Roxas its youngest, newest members, both of them capable of wielding a Keyblade._ But no matter how many times she showed up within those memories, Sora was never, not even once, able to garnish her name_. It was if it had been silence, wiped out, the only thing remaining of her being her voice alone, and even that was distant and faded compared to everything else within Roxas' memories. _

Still, every time she appeared, something deep and visceral stirred deep within his heart, in a way that felt decidedly different from the frequent slight pulls he felt from Roxas. Occasionally, he'd catch the briefest of flashes of her, the _real _her, _her bright blue eyes, her raven black hair, her kind, playful smile. _But they were all so quick and fleeting that they offered nothing really substantial about who she really was at all. _For a moment, he almost thought he saw her standing in place of where he had grown used to seeing Roxas' reflection instead of his own._ But just like seemingly everything else about her, all too quickly she was gone, dimmed, faded.

_Forgotten. _

The barrage of memories finally started to slow down as the trio began carving out a path towards the mansion through the town's underground conduit. Apparently, Roxas hadn't spent too much time down here, or at least that's what Sora assumed. The usual way to the woods had been sealed up since their last visit here, forcing them to wander through the mazelike sewers to get there. Despite the fact that he halfheartedly joined Goofy in laughing over Donald's near constant-complaining about the smell, Sora's mind was just about as far from the present moment as it could have possibly been. Instead, his sights were trained on the water they were walking through, _Roxas' reflection staring back at him through it_, and the countless memories he had seen thus far. Admittedly, he was half tempted to tell his companions about what he had been experiencing, even though he knew he was the only one seeing and feeling it all. And ultimately, that exclusivity was exactly why he decided against telling them; after all, if Donald and Goofy were still awash with concern over his recent slip into darkness, then what would they possibly think about something as alarming and inexplicable as this?

Eventually, the trio did manage to make it out of the conduit and into the quiet, open forest that lay just on the other side of Twilight Town's tall walls. Much like the town itself, the dusk-covered woods were calm and quiet and featured a path that directly to the mansion they were heading for. Like earlier, Donald and Goofy set out ahead first, and though Sora was set to follow them, the moment he took a single step forward into the woods, a new voice entirely suddenly echoed through his thoughts.

"**Come…"**

Sora briefly stopped at this, caught off guard by the sudden, almost aggressive pull on his heart, one that felt so different from the usual gentle tug he suspected had been coming from Roxas. For a moment, he wondered if this new, rather unwelcome spark of feeling was somehow coming from his Nobody's scattered memories, until the strange voice itself confirmed that its words didn't come from Roxas' past. Instead, they were for _him_, here and now.

"**Sora…" **it spoke again, its indiscernible tone barely over a wavering whisper. Yet for as soft and deceptively gentle as it was, its beckoning sound carried an unnaturally commanding sway that, for one reason or another, Sora was completely helpless to resist falling under.

"**Come join us…" **it called and he did as it said, thoughtlessly following the persistent pull on his heart as it practically dragged him onward. His hands had fallen slack at his sides as his steps remined slow yet steady, his expression empty and his eyes wide yet dull and unfocused as he stared straight ahead yet saw nothing at all. **"Sora…" **Each time it spoke his name, its intangible reigns of control seemed to tighten around him more and more, pushing away his own thoughts and feelings and replacing them with nothing but cold, quiet obedience. Everything other than the voice, the pull, and wherever they both were leading him faded away, including his own two companions as they continued on the path ahead, completely unaware that something was gravely wrong with the Keybearer behind them.

"So, do ya really think we'll find any clues that could help us help Roxas at the mansion?" Goofy asked Donald with casual curiosity.

"Who knows?" the magician shrugged truthfully. After all, their entire stint here in Twilight Town on a whole was based largely on the mere speculation that it could led them to Roxas, though thus far, they'd yet to find anything resembling a concrete solution. "What do you think, Sora?"

The pair briefly glanced over their shoulders at their young ward, though almost as soon as they did, they were quick to stop short. Not only did Sora strangely not give them any sort of reply at all, but his stiff, distant manner was more than enough to garnish immediate concern from them both. "S-Sora?" Donald started, though he received no response as the Keybearer spared neither of them so much as a single glance, instead heeding only the voice and the voice alone.

"**Darkness is calling out to your heart, Sora…" **it said, its tone smooth and falsely comforting. **"You must let it fill you so that you may become the vessel you are meant to be…" **Unable to properly act on the voice's command, Sora instead simply continued following its lead, incapable of doing or thinking anything else, even despite its sinister, ominous message. All the while, Donald and Goofy watched with mutual worry as he finally walked past them, completely lost to whatever trance he seemed to be under.

"Uh… Sora?" Goofy ventured apprehensively, hurrying to walk alongside the Keybearer as Donald did the same. "I-is somethin' wrong?"

"Why aren't you saying anything?!" Donald asked, slightly frustrated by Sora's continued silence, which showed no signs of breaking anytime soon. "Normally we can't _get _you to be quiet, but when we _want _you to talk, you won't say a word! Figures…"

"Say, come to think of it… you've been sorta outta it ever since we got here…" Goofy mused rather fretfully. "I know you said you're fine, but… are ya sure there isn't something you're not tellin' us about?"

"Cause if there is, you _know _better than to keep it a secret from us!" Donald exclaimed crossly, though it was clear his scolding came from a place of immense caring. "So… spill it already! And snap out of whatever it is you're staring at already! It's creeping me out!"

Despite his companion's earnest urgings, Sora still didn't speak a single word, his gaze still fixated straight ahead as he continued walking, slowly as ever, through the woods ahead. Before, Donald and Goofy had only suspected something was off, but now there was no doubt. To confirm their developing worries even more, Goofy tentatively reached a hand out, placing it firmly on Sora's shoulder in a somewhat meager attempt at halting him, only for the Keybearer to completely ignore the gesture and easily pull right out of his grip. In his continued frustration, Donald was more direct in his approach, grabbing Sora by the hand and planting himself steady in the hopes that would finally be enough to stop him in his tracks. Of course, it wasn't as the Keybearer simply pulled his otherwise motionless hand away, knocking Donald back onto his tailfeathers and setting him off even more than he already was.

"What's going on?!" the magician shouted hotly as Goofy hurried to help him up. For a moment, the two continued watching Sora, his back turned to them as he listened only to the voice that seemed to whisper all around him, though it always seemed its loudest and most important when it echoed from within the depths of his own heart.

"**You know what it is you must do, Sora…" **it assured as softly, deceptively as ever as its tight, almost _painful _pull practically forced his heart forward. **"And if you do not yet, then soon you will. You are the thirteenth, the last, but most important piece of them all…"**

"**For without you, the Kingdom cannot come…"**

Donald and Goofy were just about to make another attempt at breaking through to Sora, though they were immediately halted as a large, varied group of Nobodies materialized among the trees straight ahead of them. A shared startled shout instantly rose from the pair as they summoned their weapons and prepared for the oncoming fray, though they stopped short when they noticed that Sora was making no such effort to do the same. Instead, he merely continued walking, his blank, empty manner still unchanged, even despite the danger he was heading straight towards.

"Sora, look out!" Donald warned, taking the liberty of firing off an ice spell to knock back a Dusk that managed to skirt too close to the Keybearer. Despite this, Sora didn't so much as even flinch, still not calling upon his Keyblade or making any attempt at all to defend himself, much to Donald and Goofy's mutual alarm.

"What's the matter with him?!" the magician exclaimed, gripping his staff tightly as he fended off another Nobody from afar.

"Garwsh, I don't know, but l-look!" Goofy pointed to the horde of Nobodies just as Sora reached them. For the briefest of moments, it seemed as though the creatures were more than set to attack the defenseless Keybearer, and yet, right before they could all rush towards him at once, they stopped. In fact, they even seemed to slither back, away from Sora as he passed through them, as if he wasn't even aware of their presence at all.

"T-they're… not attacking him?" Donald wondered, beyond baffled at this point. Likewise, Goofy was also quite confused, his shield raised as he stepped forward a bit to test if the Nobodies really were standing down for some reason. However, the creatures were quick to snap back into their usual aggressive ways upon turning their attention away from the Keybearer and back towards the captain and the magician. The pair gasped fearfully as the entire horde rushed for them, completely ignoring Sora, who did the same to them as he continued following the still unseen, still unknown pull on his heart all the while.

"Sora, snap out of it already!" Donald shouted past the Nobodies amidst casting spells at them left and right, even though he could already feel his energy draining quickly from the sudden barrage. "We need your help over here!"

"Y-yeah, please!" Goofy essentially pleaded, looking past the Nobodies to the Keybearer as he continued walking away from them silently. "Like we said before, we're a team! Which means we _all _gotta stick together, no matter what, Sora!"

Unbeknownst to either of the pair, Sora's otherwise steady pace finally slowed somewhat upon hearing this pertinent reminder, one that nearly worked in returning some of his lost lucidity before the voice and the pull both worked together to quickly snatch it away from him once more. **"Sora, you must come…" **it urged with a newfound hint of hostility in its still quiet tone. **"Follow the call as it leads you towards the darkness… and then, at long last can your heart truly be set free…"**

He scarcely even understood or even really heard whatever disturbing promises the voice was offering him; in fact, the only thing he _was _allowed to know was that he _had _to heed its call, no matter where or why it might be leading him. And with each forcibly guided step he took, the further away he got from his endangered companions as they struggled to break past the line of persistent Nobodies before them if only to reach him before it was too late.

"Sora!" Donald shouted desperately as he frantically casted heal after a particularly nasty cut from a Dusk.

"Sora!" Goofy echoed just as tightly, trying his best to ward off the trio of Nobodies pressing hard against his shield.

"**Sora!" **the voice shouted for the first time, its pull snapping heavily, agonizingly upon his heart with all of its malice, hatred, _darkness_, trapping him, taking everything away from him and leaving nothing behind at all, until-

"_Sora!"_

"R-Roxas?!" Sora gasped, finally stopping dead in his tracks upon hearing his Nobody's unmistakable, strangely warning call from nowhere and everywhere all at once. Instantly, his senses and autonomy rushed back to him in full force, finally allowing him to think and see and _feel _the unknown, absolute anguish flooding his heart completely out of nowhere. The pain and shock of it was almost enough to send him collapsing to his knees, but instead, he only barely managed to haphazardly summon his Keyblade, digging its tip into the ground so he could lean against it for support. His vision was spinning as he stared at the ground, breathless as he tried to piece together exactly what was happening. And yet, try as he might to recall something more, the only things he could remember from the past several moments alone was a voice that said nothing his memories held onto now and the thankfully fading pain that still lightly pulling against his heart, vying for control it no longer held over him anymore.

Sora was all too quickly broken out of his confused, racing thoughts upon hearing a round of frightened, strained cries behind him. Startled, the Keybearer turned to see Donald and Goofy, still heavily beset by a crowd of Nobodies that showed no signs of thinning out any time soon, despite their best, if not futile efforts to oust them. And even though his chest was still aching from the resounding pain, Sora didn't hesitate to finally join his companions in the ongoing fray.

Needless to say that both the captain and the magician were more than relieved to see the Keybearer suddenly cut through the wall of Nobodies forcing them back. The Keyblade's initial swift swing was more than enough to take out several of the Dusks at least, though Sora didn't stop there as he also cut down several of the outliers of the group. Even amidst the ongoing battle, Donald prepared himself to angrily call Sora out for his earlier unresponsiveness, though Goofy was quick to quell his anger for the time being, allowing their young companion to steadily wipe out the rest of the Nobodies while they took a much-needed breather.

Of course, that didn't mean that after the fight was over, everything was so easily forgotten. For just as soon as Sora finished dispatching the last Dusk, both Donald and Goofy practically pounced on him with their barrage of countless questions and concerns.

"What happened with you?!" Donald demanded first, stomping his foot down petulantly. "We get attacked and you just _walk away_?! Are you _nuts_!?"

"I-I… I didn't… I wasn't-" Sora stammered, not knowing how to even explain what had just happened himself.

"Are you ok, Sora?" Goofy asked with much calmer worry, placing a comforting hand on the Keybearer's shoulder. "Is there somethin' ya maybe need to tell us about?"

"No. _No _'maybes'," Donald interjected firmly before Sora could even get a word in edgewise. "There _is _something you aren't telling us about and it needs to stop! Something's been up with you ever since we got here and you need to explain it, _right now_!"

"I… I don't know, I-" Sora cut himself off, shaking his head as he reeled to frantically find a comprehendible answer that made any sort of sense. But that was exactly the problem; whatever had just happened to him made _no _sense whatsoever, and he was especially hard pressed to figure out some way, _any _way to put it all into words. So instead, he decided to go with a much simpler, much more safer route instead. "I-I've been seeing Roxas' memories!" he exclaimed sharply, his hands clenched in tight fists at his sides as he blurted it out. It was only really half the truth though, since he was fairly certain that whatever trance he had just been trapped in had nothing to do with the deepening connection he had been feeling to his Nobody since they had arrived.

"Whaaaaa?!" Donald and Goofy both asked in instantly intrigued unison upon hearing this.

"What do you mean, 'seeing his memories'?" the magician asked somewhat suspiciously.

"I mean… I've been _seeing _his memories," Sora shrugged, unsure of how else to put it. "All over town, I've just… its just…" He sighed, somewhat frustrated at how difficult this was to communicate when it was still so strange to him as well. "Its almost like his memories are just… lying around everywhere and they keep coming to me from all over. A-and its not just that! I keep seeing him in my reflection too. I know this all might sound kinda crazy, but… I think he might be trying to tell me something."

"Golly, like what?" Goofy asked, fascinated by this new development.

"I… don't know…" Sora admitted, crossing his arms. "B-but whatever it is, I feel like it could help us save Roxas somehow! Or at least I _hope _it could…" he muttered that last part, not entirely certain of that fact himself. Still, he couldn't shake the feeling that his Nobody _was _indeed trying to get _some _sort of message across to him through his scattered memories. It was figuring out exactly _what _that message was that was going to be the hard part.

"So is _that _why you just spaced out on us like that?" Donald asked, still somewhat cross over the matter. "Because you were seeing one of his memories?"

"Y-yes!" Sora exclaimed, largely without thinking. Another lie, yes, but it was much easier than the alternative was: actually trying to figure out the truth behind the dark, whispering voice he'd just as rather forget. "Yes, that's… exactly what that was."

"Well, it musta been a pretty important memory if ya were so caught up in it like you were," Goofy noted. "What was it about?"

"It was about…" Sora began, trying to come up with yet _another _convenient lie, despite the fact that each one he told to the pair was filling him with more and more pressing guilt. He wasn't a fan of lying to anything begin with, but to withhold the truth from Donald and Goofy, his two trusted companions and some of his closest friends, was practically unthinkable. Which was why he was half tempted to actually change his tune and tell them the truth in whatever way he could. And yet just shy of him making the choice to do so, he stopped, halted by anxiety or dread or something else altogether, and fronted another quick fabrication instead. "I-it was about Roxas going to the same mansion we're headed to! W-which means we're _probably _on the right track, so we might as well get going there instead of standing around here, right?"

Donald and Goofy exchanged a somewhat dubious glance at this, but ultimately they both seemed to accept it, much to Sora's mingled relief and guilt. "If you say so…" the magician mused before turning back to the Keybearer, wagging a warning, chastising finger. "But next time something like that starts happening to you, you'd _better _tell us! You had us worried sick!"

"Yeah, Sora, you don't have to hide anything from the two of us!" Goofy chimed in warmly. "Specially not somethin' like this. Even if it sounds like it might be a doozy, you know we'll always be here to help ya with whatever it might be!"

"Y-yeah…" Sora smiled halfheartedly, rubbing his arm as he looked away from the pair, almost as if he was ashamed to make eye contact with them, which, admittedly, he was. "I know…"

"Now come on!" Donald urged somewhat impatiently as he led on. "Let's get to that mansion before anything _else _can go wrong!"

Goofy chuckled his agreement to this as he followed after the magician, Sora falling in line not too far behind them. With the scrutiny of his companions finally off him, the Keybearer took another moment to think back on the disconcerting, if not downright horrifying events that had just unfolded. Indeed, the pain within his heart had mostly subsided, though it still thumped with the constant tug he had felt since arriving in Twilight Town, one that he knew came from Roxas and not from some other unknown, unwanted external force. But whatever had ensnared his heart in that moment had been a far cry from the comforting familiarity of his Nobody. It had been cold, uncaring, unquestionably agonizing as it stilled and silenced every single part of him into obeying whatever it was it had to say, forcefully dragging him towards an unknown fate all the while.

He couldn't even begin to guess who's voice it might have been or how it had managed to engulf him in such tight control to begin with, but all the same, it frightened him. To think that this unknown, no doubt malicious force had the power to take such quick and steady sway over his body, his mind, his heart so easily was more than enough to set Sora on edge as he feared losing himself to its demanding pull all over again.

But then he remembered who had been the one to break him out of its hold: _Roxas_. Sora had no idea how, but his Nobody's call had been able to do _something _to set him free, to wake him up from whatever spell he had been put under. Whatever Roxas had done from within the depths of his heart, it had saved him. And that was a favor that Sora wasn't about to let go unpaid.

And yet for as strong as his resolve to help his Nobody still was, the Keybearer couldn't help but shudder as his thoughts turned back to that mysterious voice one last time. This time, he focused less on the leeching pull it had forced upon his heart and more on the words it had spoken. He wasn't able to remember much of them other than its near constant beckoning for him to follow it. But out of every other dimmed, faded, forgotten statement it had said, there was one thing had remained, one claim that still sent his mind practically spinning in confusion and worry each and every time he thought about it and whatever it might possibly mean, if it even meant anything at all:

"**For without you, the Kingdom cannot come…"**

* * *

**Ohohoh interesting indeed huh? Looks like Sora is having a bit of... A Time, to be sure, though I feel like things may or may not get even... more interesting in our second half of our Twilight Town trip come the next chapter. But for now I'd LOVE to know what you thought in the REVIEWS since I'm pretty dang proud of this chapter myself. Also, I drew up a cover for this story, so if you'd like to see it better than you can on here, check it out over here: ****www . deviantart minijen / art / Keys-to-the-Kingdom-797918061 (just take out all the spaces, doesn't like links :P) ****So, until next time! :)**


	10. Chapter 9: At Dusk

_Yay! Another fast chapter out and done! This one is sorta short and sorta by the books, but necessary for foreshadowing and some plot development, so I'll let it slide. Anyway, I don't have a ton else to say about it other than enjoy! Let's get started!_

* * *

_Chapter 9: At Dusk_

_You must be kidding me,  
Did you really think  
I could say no?_

"_I wanted to meet you… at least once."_

_The myriad of bizarre happenings of the past several days had set out a path that had ultimately led him here. The old mansion was a place that Roxas was only vaguely familiar with from the countless rumors and myths spread around town about it that made it practically infamous. But those things couldn't have been further from his mind as he stood before it now, awash in growing confusion, dread, perhaps even frustration as he desperately tried to reach out for answers he could never seem to grasp. It was like everything he thought he ever knew was steadily, rapidly crumbling apart at the seams all around him, the foundation he thought he should have been standing on shattering apart piece by piece. _

_And yet… the turbulent tide he was lost amidst slowly started to calm the moment he caught sight of her. Her simple white dress and slight frame practically blended into the spotless curtains she was standing in front of, a hand pressed against the glass window as she starred down at him silently, sadly from above. In many ways, she was almost like one of the ghosts rumored to be inhabiting the dusty halls of the otherwise abandoned mansion, but he knew better. He knew she was real, at least as real as he was anyway, he had seen her face, heard her voice, felt the connection between them that he couldn't explain. _A connection that couldn't be broken, no matter what chains of memory came undone.

"_Roxas…" she mouthed his name from beyond the glass, or at least she thought it was his. For all he knew, it could have been someone else's name altogether. And by all accounts, it probably was._

"_Naminé…?"_

_Naminé…_

"Thank Naminé…" Sora whispered to himself as he found himself slowly slipping out of yet another one of Roxas' memories. In a sense, it was like waking up from a distant, yet nostalgic dream, blurring the fine line between memory and reality just as much as his own image tended to blur between himself and his Nobody. Despite the fact that he had largely grown accustomed to this nearly constant flux in and out of a past that wasn't even his, Sora couldn't deny that it still felt rather disorienting, perhaps even a bit deceptive. For as he stole another glance up at the window of the stately, yet silent mansion before them, he found that, unlike what Roxas' memories had shown him, Naminé was—unsurprisingly but still disappointingly—nowhere to be found.

"Did ya say somethin', Sora?" Goofy asked, glancing back at the Keybearer.

"Hm?" Sora shook his head, finally fully grounding himself back into the present. "Uh… no. I was just… um…" He trailed off, finding himself at an odd loss for words. Something that had been happening more often than usual, he realized.

"Did you see another one of Roxas' memories?" Donald inferred curiously.

"Y-yeah!" Sora nodded. "Well… at least that's what it was _this _time…" he muttered to himself, briefly recalling the ominous voice that had pulled against his heart mere moments ago.

"What do you mean _this _time?" the magician asked, aptly suspicious as he happened to overhear the Keybearer.

"Oh, uh, nothing!" Sora said, forcing a calm laugh to allay his confused companions before quickly changing the subject back to the mansion before them. "So… what do you think, guys? This place is even creepier than I remember."

"Well, they _do _say this mansion is haunted…" Goofy noted as Donald cringed with clear fear at the very thought.

"Haunted, huh…?" Sora repeated, largely to himself as he looked up to the large window once more. He was hardly superstitious in light of everything he'd seen and experienced, but as he thought back to that sinister voice and the frightening affect it had on him, he couldn't help but wonder if those ghostly rumors maybe held some merit after all.

The already on-edge trio was even more set off the moment something happened to lightly skim the Keybearer's shoulder from behind. Sora nearly summoned his Keyblade, Donald and Goofy likewise loudly panicking alongside him as they all quickly spun around, only to find an equally startled Hayner, Pence, and Olette standing behind them.

"Yeesh…" Sora huffed, suppressing a sigh of relief at seeing the trio of familiar faces as opposed to the alternative. "Thanks for the heart attack!"

"Oh what?" Hayner smirked. "Did we _scare _you guys?"

"Not a chance!" Donald retorted back, shaking his first admantly.

"Our bad," Olette chuckled, aptly amused.

"So, how'd it go?" Sora asked the trio collectively. "Did you get any leads?"

Their otherwise playful manner fell into disappointment at this as they shook their heads truthfully. "Nope, 'fraid not," Pence admitted fretfully. "The asking around town thing was a total bust."

"Yep, looks like this old mansion is our only hope," Hayner added, looking to the mansion. The others all turned to do the same, each of them carrying the same resolve that the answers they were looking for could be held somewhere inside.

"You guys ready?" Olette asked, eager to continue their search.

"Another Twilight Town awaits!" Pence chimed in boldly.

"Yeah," Sora readily agreed, already taking the first step towards the mansion. A small burst of warmth filled his heart as he did, one that unmistakably came from Roxas himself. Almost as if he somehow knew just how far they were all willing to go to find a way to bring him back to them. And it was that warmth, that feeling of bright, expanding hope that they both seemed to share, that prompted Sora onward further still, determined to do exactly that.

* * *

Since the collective group knew exactly where they needed to go, they didn't waste too much time checking most of the mansion's otherwise empty, dust-settled rooms. Instead, they all made a beeline for the basement, its clean metallic walls a far cry from the rest of the old mansion's dilapidated state. Now bereft of its original purpose, the computer room was also just as quiet as the rest of the abandoned building, save for the occasional idle beep and blip from the several-screened machine tucked securely inside it. A machine that, at least as far as any of them knew, was just about their last resort to finding their first and possibly only clues to helping Roxas.

"Here we go!" Pence exclaimed excitedly, rushing to the computer the moment he saw it. Since the others knew full well this was his area of expertise, they all congregated around him as he took charge in operating the rather complex machine. "The password was… uh… 'sea-salt ice cream', right?" He tapped the phrase in, which, just as it had before, granted them access to whatever data the computer had stored. "Ok, I'm in. Now let's get that transporter working…"

Since Pence was already largely familiar with the process, opening up the transporter that would lead the way to the alternate Twilight Town should have been easy. However, what none of them were expecting was for the computer to flash red, emitting a blaring warning alarm almost as soon as the attempt was made. "Oh man…" Pence frowned as the computer's main screen was overtaken by an error message. "The transporter's been protected…."

"Protected from what?" Sora asked, aptly confused.

"I guess from us?" Pence ventured a guess. "We can't use it to get to the other Twilight Town."

"Why not?" Hayner cut in, clearly annoyed by this sudden roadblocked. "It worked before! We sent Sora there!"

"Well, that was then and this is now," Pence shrugged.

"And… there's no other way?" Olette asked, frowning.

"…None that I know of…" Pence admitted, tapping a few more keys on the computer, though to no avail. A general sigh of clear disappointment rose up from several members of the group upon hearing this, all of them quite dejected to know that they had come all this way only to be met with nothing. In fact, they were all just about ready to turn around and head back to town, or at least they would have had the Gummiphone not happened to ring at that exact moment.

Still not entirely familiar with the device, Sora fumbled somewhat as he pulled it out of his pocket and answered it, only for Ienzo to pop up on the other end of the line. _"Hello, Sora," _the researcher greeted amicably. _"You wouldn't happen to be standing in front of a computer, would you?"_

"Huh?" Sora raised a surprised eyebrow. "Well… yeah. But how'd you know that?"

"_I was tinkering with Ansem's computer_," Ienzo explained. _"You know, to decrypt the code that was left in it? And I noticed that someone had logged in from another terminal. I figured it might be you."_

"Oh, yeah! The log terminal!" Sora exclaimed, putting on a front of understanding, which of course, Donald was quick to call him out on.

"You don't know what he said," the magician correctly inferred, cross his arms.

"Oh, and what, _you _do?" the Keybearer retorted in a dry whisper.

All the same, Ienzo happened to overhear this bout of bickering from the other end of the line and let out a small, amused chuckle before posing the group another question. _"So if it wasn't you, then… who _did _log in?"_

"Oh, hi there!" Pence chimed in as Sore handed the phone over to him. "This is Pence. I'm the one who logged into the computer."

"_Good," _Ienzo nodded, allayed. _"As long as we know it's a user that we know we can trust."_

"Yep. But… we're kind of stuck here," Pence said, glancing back over at the secured computer. "One of the programs is protected so… I can't run it."

"_Which program?"_

"Ugh! The transporter to the other Twilight Town!" Hayner snapped, frustrated at how slowly the conversation seemed to be going. "It's the only way to find Roxas. You gotta help us!"

Ienzo seemed quite surprised to hear this news, the implications sending his scientific mind practically reeling as he mulled over it. _"Another Twilight Town…? And a 'transporter'? Okay… a virtual town inside the computer, made of data… Fascinating! Maybe I _can _do something to help… Pence, let's get a network set up; that way we can try to look into this on both ends of the spectrum."_

Pence agreed and the two got to work on doing just that, exchanging information in order to connect the two computers together despite the span of worlds standing between them. Despite how well versed both Pence and Ienzo were when it came to the tech they were working with, it still took quite a bit of time to get everything completely set up on both ends. At least an hour had passed with very few updates given, which was why it wasn't too surprising that in that amount of idle time, Sora had nodded off more than a few times, much to Goofy's amusement and Donald's annoyance. Still, it was something of a relief when, after what felt like ages to just about everyone else, Ienzo finally announced that the lengthy process was at last complete.

"_Ok, sharing is enabled," _the researcher confirmed, effectively snapping Sora out of his most recent bout of standing slumber.

"Oh! Were you able to fix it?" the Keybearer asked, eager to hear any new developments.

Ienzo didn't provide a clear cut answer at first as he instead opted to explain exactly what him and Pence had just accomplished. _"Now that our two computers have been successfully networked together, I can take control of the terminal there and change the privileges. So in a sense… yes, we _did _fix it. Or at least allowed some form of progress to continue."_

"And Roxas?" Sora pressed, largely not caring about the specifics so long as it all could help his Nobody in some way.

"_Yes. For the virtual world to be completely realized, Ansem the Wise would have included Roxas' full data in the construction. Meaning, somewhere on your machine, there's a log of that data that-" _Ienzo stopped short, noticing that Sora looked more or less completely lost in all the technicalities on the other end of the line. Which was why he decided to finish explaining in a much more simpler route to grasp. _"Uh… basically, we can decipher Ansem's code more quickly _and _we can analyze the virtual Twilight Town while we're at it."_

"Ohhh, ok! Great!" Sora smiled, more or less understanding, though he was still admittedly confused by how it all worked. Still, the researcher's upbeat tone alone was more than enough to convince him that there was a chance that this could work after all. "I can't computer so… do that."

"_Glad to know you're following along," _Ienzo smirked knowingly. _"Don't worry. We'll handle it. Chip and Dale will be helping me out here on this end. I'll call you back as soon as we know anything more."_

"Thanks," Sora nodded, genuinely grateful for the help all around. In a way, he did feel somewhat inadequate when it came to looking for answers in this way, given his relative lack of experience with computers and data and research and the like. But it was still a relief to know that there were so many others who had decided to join him in his cause to help Roxas, from Donald and Goofy, to the Twilight Town trio, to even Ienzo and his crew afar off in Radiant Garden. Certainly, Sora hoped, with so many people working together towards the same goal, there was no doubt that they'd find a way to bring Roxas back in no time at all.

"_Oh, before I forget—a bit of troubling news," _Ienzo continued, his tone turning grave. _"It's about one of the Organization's former members. You knew him as Vexen—but to us, he was Ansem's apprentice, Even. He was recompleted like the rest of us, but hadn't regained consciousness yet. Then, sometime after Lea left, Even vanished. Aeleus and Dilan—the two you knew as Lexaeus and Xaldin—went out to look for him, but… he's just gone. And I'm starting to worry."_

"You think he's on _their _side?" Sora asked, remembering Yen Sid's warning that the Organization would likely be seeking to fill out the rest of their ranks in any way possible.

"_I think it's a real possibility," _Ienzo said earnestly._ "He's a devious researcher. You should be careful."_

"Got it. Thanks again!" Sora bid the researcher farewell as the call came to an end, making sure to keep his warning in mind for future reference.

"Oh no!" Hayner suddenly gasped in apparent alarm as he turned to Pence and Olette frantically. "We got work! I totally forgot!"

"Really?" Pence asked as Hayner already got a head start in hurrying out of the room. "But what about all this?"

"Hey, both are important! We're gonna need some cash to go to the beach. Also, don't forget the pretzels. Gotta buy _four _now," Hayner grinned, especially as Pence began counting out, confused.

"Ooh, I get it!" he exclaimed in realization, knowing that Hayner had the idea of bringing Roxas along with them. An idea that both Pence and Olette readily agreed with for whenever their long-awaited day at the beach finally did arrive.

"He's thinking ahead," Olette chimed in with a wry smile of her own.

"Later, Sora!" Hayner said as he took his leave, Olette going to join him.

"Bye, Donald! Goofy!" she waved to the trio fondly as they all returned the farewell.

"See you guys!" Sora called out after the pair as Donald and Goofy also offered their own goodbyes.

"Oh, and since I'm manning the computer here," Pence began, remaining in his seat as he glanced back at the duo. "You guys are in charge of earning my share!"

"No pretzel for Pence!" Hayner teased, sticking his tongue out as him and Olette ran out of the room.

"Hey!" Pence shouted after them, ignoring Sora, Donald, and Goofy's shared amused laughter. All the same, he made sure to assure the trio that he'd continue working on digging up what he could glean from the computer, collaborating in tandem with Ienzo all the while. And with that, the trio was quick to realize there wasn't really anything else they could do at this stage but wait for any new information to be uncovered that could help further their cause. It was somewhat disappointing, for Sora in particular, to know that there wasn't much help any of them could provide right now, but at the very least, the effort to help Roxas had been kickstarted. The mission to bring him back into the existence he deserved to have was well on its way. And for now, simply keeping the comforting idea that this could soon be more than just a distance hope in mind would certainly suffice.

* * *

By the time they left the mansion, Sora had noticed that the usually steady tide of Roxas' memories flowing in and out of his heart had gradually started to slow to a crawl. Even as they emerged from the derelict building, he found that he was met with essentially none of his Nobody's memories whatsoever, to the point that even the light pull that had been more or less guiding his heart since they arrived seemed to have completely faded out. And yet, alarmingly enough, what _wasn't _gone was the same dull, persistent pain that had sparked in his heart when he had been trapped under the influence of that still-unknown voice. A pain that only seemed to amplify tenfold when the trio was stopped in their tracks by the arrival of a figure they were all too familiar with.

"So, you think you can bring Roxas back?"

Sora practically choked on a gasp, his heart suddenly seizing up with so much sudden agony that it nearly knocked him to his knees. Donald and Goofy noticed his wavering swaying as he clutched at his chest in a weak, yet desperate attempt to stop the swelling pain. Neither of them had the faintest idea as to what could have possibly been afflicting their young companion, but all the same, they were quick to support him on both sides as they all turned to see exactly who was standing right outside the mansion gates behind them.

"Ansem!" the captain and magician exclaimed, largely since Sora was still far too breathless from the pain to do so himself. Yet that pain only seemed to spark once more as a dark corridor opened up right beside the seeker of darkness, making way for yet another one of the Organization's leading members to arrive.

"Xemnas!" the trio shouted in unison this time, collectively startled and set off upon being met with two of their most dangerous adversaries at the same exact time.

"Roxas should have never existed in the first place," Xemnas began coldly, cutting right to the chase. "What you seek is impossible."

Sora jolted at this, filled with a sense of righteous anger at such a dismissive claim overtaking the pain still pounding through his heart. "Y-you're wrong!" he retorted boldly, forcing himself to stand upright without Donald and Goofy's help, as much of a struggle as it was for him. "Roxas _does _exist! His heart's inside my heart!"

"His is far from the only one," Ansem said vaguely, ominously even.

"And in the unlikely event that you do manage to separate the two," Xemnas continued just as evenly. "Where is it you think you can put his heart?"

"W-well… Roxas used to live in the other Twilight Town , right? So, m-maybe… we can…" Sora trailed off, instantly regretting his knee-jerk idea before he could even say it out loud.

"So, you understand the shortcomings of your 'brilliant' plan," Ansem assumed, arms crossed. "The other Twilight Town is just data. Any existence Roxas might have there would ultimately be an empty one."

As much as Sora didn't want to say it, he couldn't deny that this claim was absolutely correct. Ienzo had said that Roxas' data was likely contained within the digital Twilight Town, which meant that it would have very well been possible to find a way to set Roxas himself up within that world. And yet, as stable of an idea as it was, it was far from satisfying. Sora didn't want to see Roxas stuck in a disconnected version of the world that was only barely real to begin with; he wanted to see Roxas brought back into the _real_ world, to reunite with the _real _people who likewise wanted to see him return. He wanted to _truly _meet his Nobody, not just in dreams or data or distant memories, but face-to-face for the first time. And, simply put, just throwing Roxas into the alternate version of Twilight Town would accomplish anything but that.

"Hm… Ansem and Xemnas used to be part of the same person, right?" Goofy spoke up, seemingly going off on an entirely different tangent altogether. "But look, now they exist separately just fine. If they can do it, then I don't see any reason why you and Roxas can't find a way."

"Oh, yeah!" Sora exclaimed, instantly allayed by this vote of confidence. Sure enough, it had to be true; if their foes could accomplish such a seemingly impossible feat, then certainly him and Roxas could too, right?

"Yeah! You tell 'em Captain Goofy!" Donald chimed in his support as well. Ansem and Xemnas, however, were unphased by the trio's newfound excitement.

"In that case, by all means," Ansem nodded, surprisingly calm.

"Nothing would please us more than Roxas' return," Xemnas said, keeping his sights trained on Sora in particular. "After all, freeing him from the depths of your heart would at last allow us to fully lay claim to our thirteenth member."

"You wish," Sora scoffed harshly, still trying his best to ignore the persistent sting ringing through his heart. "Roxas will _never _answer to you again!"

"Still so blind," Xemnas shook his head with almost something of a knowing smile. "We are no longer interested in having Roxas as a member. In fact, he is one of the only obstacles standing between and our _true _final vessel: you, Sora."

The ripple of shock that struck the trio upon hearing this was sharp and swift. In fact, it might as well have pierced Sora clean through the heart for the amount of intense anguish that rushed through it, so immense and powerful that he could hardly bear it. And yet, instead of crumbling under the crippling strain, he remained standing, as if frozen in place by all of the frightening thoughts and feelings running through his heart and mind all at once. However, he wasn't really pressed to provide much of a reaction to this disturbing claim, as Donald and Goofy did more than a suitable job doing so in his stead.

"No way!" Donald shouted fiercely as both him and Goofy stepped in front of Sora protectively. "Sora would _never _be a part of the Organization!"

"That's right!" the captain admantly agreed. "And we would know! We were there to help save Sora from becomin' one of Xehanort's vessels!"

"A valiant effort, that was ultimately for nothing," Ansem countered before addressing Sora directly. "You can feel it, can't you? Already the darkness is starting to take a hold upon your heart. And through that darkness, soon you find yourself helpless to resist the master's call to join our ranks as the vessel you are destined to be."

"Call…" Sora repeated softly, his eyes widening with the dawning, horrific realization. "That voice… I-it was…"

"It very well could have been," Xemnas interjected knowingly. "Or… perhaps it was the shadows of your own heart, urging you towards the proper path. Either way, you would do well to heed it; resisting its command will only delay the inevitable."

At that very moment, the pain coursing through Sora's heart spiked yet again, and this time, it was fully enough to send him collapsing to his knees, even despite Donald and Goofy rushing to fret over him worriedly. "N-no…" he began weakly, glaring up at Xemnas and Ansem with as much defiance as he could muster. "I don't care what you try to do to me, I'm _not _about to lose myself to the darkness!" At this, the Keybearer began to stand, struggling somewhat, until Donald and Goofy helped him rise to boldly, brazenly face their foes once again. "So you can just go and tell Xehanort to find himself another vessel because it's _never _going to be me!"

The captain and the magician smiled proudly to their young companion upon hearing his resilient proclamation, both of them glad to know that he hadn't lost his verve against enemies as dangerous as these. And yet, even despite Sora's courageous show of determination, Ansem and Xemnas hardly seemed to care.

"If that is what you believe, then you are free to struggle and suffer until your heart can no longer bear the weight of the freedom you're so desperately trying to cling onto," Ansem concluded, his tone disapproving and icy.

"But keep in mind that if you truly do want to bring Roxas back, the only way is for you to give your heart up for his," Xemnas added, presenting a disparaging truth that Sora knew all too well. "Which means that try as you might to resist the darkness, calling upon its power is your only hope for releasing his heart from your own."

By this point, Sora's hands were clenched so tightly into fists that they were practically shaking, his anger towards this pair and their callous claims, especially when they came to Roxas, rising by the second. "You really think I buy any of that?" he asked challengingly. "I don't need the darkness to help Roxas or anyone else. I'll find another way instead, you'll see."

"Go on then," Ansem remarked with the slightest of mocking grins. "But remember: the shadows are never out of reach if you need them." At this, the seeker of darkness nodded to the space behind the trio, where, as if on cue, a sizable group of Heartless was arising from the grass, ready to attack. Xemnas swiftly added onto the monstrous horde, calling upon a swath of Nobodies and creating an aptly dangerous force that was already deadest on besetting the trio before them.

Sora stole a brief glance away from the creatures to the duo that had summoned them, noticing that they were getting ready to take their leave instead of confronting the trio in battle themselves. "Enjoy whatever fleeting time you have left to bask in the warmth of the light," Xemnas began, already calling upon a dark corridor for their retreat.

"For soon enough, you will stand in the depths of darkness alongside the rest of us," Ansem finished with a dark, goading grin.

"Now… set your heart free," both of them proclaimed just as they disappeared into the darkness from whence they came.

"Wait!" Sora shouted after them, summoning his Keyblade in the hopes of catching them before they could get away. They still managed to, however, as the Keybearer's attention was quickly diverted back to the horde of Heartless and Nobodies his companions had already started to engage in combat.

"Sora!" Donald called warningly, narrowly dodging a wide swing from one of the several rampaging Dusks.

Seeing that his companions could clearly use the help, Sora hurried over to join them, though even as the battle properly began, he couldn't really shake his own immense desire to prove the malicious duo wrong. "It's not darkness," he muttered to himself as he entered the fray, feeling the pain in his heart finally, thankfully dissipate altogether. "Not if it helps him!"

And with that, the Keybearer threw himself into the fight alongside his companions, taking the force of Heartless and Nobodies head on. Despite their numbers, the creatures were a small obstacle at best, and hardly any of their main focus with their thoughts still unanimously on their alarming encounter with Xemnas and Ansem mere moments ago. The implications of their cryptic statements were discouraging, downright frightening in some instances, but of course, the trio only found time to properly discuss them once the monsters they had left behind were fully cleared out. And, once they did manage to successfully oust the Nobodies and the Heartless alike, that's exactly what they did.

Donald and Goofy were the first to reconvene after the fight was through, though they were quick to turn their already fretful attention over to Sora instead. He stood apace away from them, his back turned and his expression unknown as he stared off into the twilit forest ahead, lost in thought over everything they'd just heard. As worrying as what Ansem and Xemnas had said concerning him had been, the Keybearer was far more focused on what they had said about Roxas. He refused to believe that the only way to help his Nobody would be to play right into the Organization's hands. There _had _to be some other way, and even if he had no idea what that way might be, he was willing to do whatever he could to find it.

"Herc said… 'with all our hearts'…" the Keybearer muttered to himself, finding more meaning in the hero's inspiring words now than ever before. "Okay. Then all my heart it is. I'm getting Roxas out."

"B-but aren't ya worried about what they said?" Goofy asked, aptly apprehensive. "About… y-ya know?"

"A-about you being a-a… a vessel?" Donald finished, just as worried.

Sora paused at this, glancing back at his companions to find their expressions awash in dread and concern solely for him. Concern that he couldn't help but appreciate, especially given the circumstances. "N-no," he shook his head, his hand lightly skimming over his now-calm heart. "No, I'm not. They probably only said all that stuff to try to psych me out or scare me, but its _not _gonna work. And besides, its like you guys said; you and Axel and Riku and the king all saved me, so there's no way that whole 'vessel' thing could be true, right?"

Donald and Goofy exchanged an initially uncertain glance at this, neither of them entirely sure when they considered all of the odd happenings that had been going on since this new journey began, to Sora in particular. And yet, when they met their young companion's bright, reassuring smile, their worries were quickly put to rest. After all, if Sora had begun to fall victim to the sway of darkness as Ansem and Xemnas had claimed, certainly he wouldn't be able to maintain his usual upbeat resolve. His confident, carefree smile was proof enough for them that he was still himself, and that was something that both the captain and the magician hoped would never change.

"Well… ok…" Donald relented somewhat halfheartedly. "But still, you _need _to be careful, Sora. Especially if the Organization really _does _wanna force you onto their side."

"Which is why, if ya start noticing that anything's wrong or off, ya gotta promise to tell us about it," Goofy asserted with a rare stern sincerity in his tone. "That way, we can help keep ya safe from anything the Organization might try to do to ya!"

"Oh, come on, you guys, nothing's gonna happen," Sora assured lightly, though he was quick to recant his casual manner upon seeing the gravely serious expressions his companions shared. "B-but… ok. I… I promise." The Keybearer looked away as he said this, knowing that he had already largely broken this promise by not telling either of them about the voice or the pain that had both pressed so viciously upon his heart.

If their brief encounter with Xemnas and Ansem had confirmed anything for Sora, it was that the voice somehow taking complete control over him had been no random happenstance. The pair had hinted that it could have very well been Xehanort himself, but even then, the Keybearer wasn't entirely convinced that was the case. As for what the voice had truly been, he still wasn't sure, but he was resolved against the idea that the dark duo's claims of him being the supposed thirteenth vessel were anywhere close to correct. True, he had nearly fallen victim to such an alarming fate during his and Riku's exam, but in the end, Xehanort's plans for him had ended in failure, or at least that's what he'd heard since he had been largely lost to relentless slumber at the time. Still, Sora firmly believed that his friends' courageous, selfless efforts to save him had been successful in the end. Any evidence or claims to the contrary were likely nothing worth worrying about whatsoever.

Or at least, he hoped they were nothing, because the alternative was absolutely unthinkable.

* * *

With Heartless and Nobodies and the like still out and about as they were, Sora, Donald, and Goofy had decided the best course of action would be to return to town to warn Hayner and Olette of the lurking danger. They did so, meeting up with the pair amidst their job of hanging posters up around town and urging them to stay on their toes against any lingering threats that may lie in wait around the area. And with that message relayed, the trio realized that their time in Twilight Town had just about come to an end. After all, they still had yet to begin their search for the Keys in earnest, and as far as any of them could tell, they weren't going to find any of them here. Still, they all made sure to solidify their shared resolve one more time to continue working towards helping Roxas, even if all they could really do for now was wish and hope for his eventual return. And while it perhaps wasn't the quickest or most direct way of bringing that return about, at the very least, it was something.

Still, as the group began exchanging their fond farewells and parting words, they were completely unaware of the fact that they were being closely watched from above. Ansem and Xemnas stood atop a nearby building, more or less unseen by any of the oblivious townsfolk below as they observed the Keybearer in particular with careful, confident scrutiny.

"He still believes that his heart is safe from the influence of darkness," Ansem sneered, crossing his arms as he looked down at Sora condescendingly. "Pathetic."

"His heart is strong, to be sure," Xemnas mused more evenly. "But in the end, his naiveté is bound to be his downfall, if not his obvious weakness for those he cares for most."

"Well, that should be an easy weakness to exploit, huh? Especially when you think about just how many 'friends' that kid seems to have."

The pair turned at this, unsurprised to see a dark corridor open up on the same rooftop they were are as Xigbar stepped through it to join them. Neither Xemnas nor Ansem offered him much of a greeting as they instead turned their focus back to Sora, not noticing the freeshooter's almost cocky smirk as he did the same. "Still, aren't you making it a _little _too obvious?" he asked the pair, having witnessed their earlier encounter with the trio from afar.

"We were instructed to guide him," Xemnas said simply. "To point him towards his proper place among our ranks, no matter how long his… 'recruitment' might take."

"Oh, so it _really _is him, huh?" Xigbar asked, still smirking. "And I thought Xehanort was just pulling everyone's leg by dropping all those hints. But I gotta say…" The freeshooter took on a faux thoughtful look as he kept his sights trained on the unwitting Keybearer. "He doesn't really look the part…"

"He will," Ansem assured. "In time."

"Hmph, well, you two seem confident that he'll just fall perfectly into place," Xigbar mused dryly. "But let's not forget how many times Sora still managed to rain on our parade. So what's the plan for when he ends up slipping through the cracks and figures out some way to keep his heart out of Xehanort's reach?"

"He won't," the seeker of darkness concluded. "And if he does find a way to waver from the path we lay, we destroy him."

"But in that case… we'll have to find ourselves another vessel," Xigbar pointed out. "Oof, the old man would _not _like that. He seems pretty deadest on Sora in particular for _some _reason. Wonder why that is…?"

"The reason is not important," Xemnas rebuffed succinctly. "What _is _important is that the process has begun. Try as he might to refuse or resist, there is nothing Sora can do to protect his heart from the tide of darkness already overtaking him."

"And once that tide inevitably tears his heart apart," Ansem added, as they all looked back down to Sora once more, their dark intentions for him clear. "Then we'll be there, to pick up what's left of the broken pieces…"

At this, the rooftop trio finally took their leave, allowing the still unaware group below to continue on their journey, wherever it might take them next. However, there was still yet another pair of eyes focused on them, this time from an even higher vantage point: the clock tower itself.

From this lofty height, one of the telltale black cloaks of Organization XIII had just been thrown, discarded by its most recent ex-member who was more than ready to cast off any sort of association to the group and to its leader in particular. Still, his newfound independence didn't mean he didn't have his own agenda in mind. For as he caught sight caught sight of the Keybearer leaving town far below him, he felt a spark of all too familiar warmth burn in his heart, a warmth that he hated and craved all at once. A warmth that would help him claim what was rightfully his, once and for all. "There you are…" he said darkly, not even having to question if he had picked out the right face in the crowd. After all, his was nearly exactly the same. "Looks like I've finally found you… _Ventus_…"

* * *

**Ohohoh looks like our baddies pretty much all got their eye on Sora! Which of course is bound to lead to some... exciting things (namely angst, ahahaha ya get what ya paid for with this fic lol (if you paid for it, which you don't, I have no idea what I'm even on about at this point) ANYWAY, next time around we'll have ourselves another interval chapter (one that's gonna be entirely original!) before we finally jump into some Disney worlds! So keep an eye out for that and until then don't forget to leave your thoughts in the REVIEWS! Until next time! **


	11. Chapter 10: Sinister Whispers

_Oy, well this took longer than I wanted it to. Either way I REALLY like how this one turned out, mostly since its a BUNCH of angst, which is, admittedly, my specialty! Though it also does a good job of foreshadowing, setting up some plotty stuff, so on so forth. So yeah, hopefully, you'll like it too! Lets get started!_

* * *

_Chapter 10: Sinister Whispers_

_Let me face, let me face, let me face my fears_

As what had often become the case as of late, the Gummi Ship floated adrift in what felt, at least to its passengers, like a sea of indecision. The trio had taken their leave from Twilight Town quite some time ago, leaving what little current efforts they had to show for Roxas' hopeful, eventual return in Hayner, Pence, and Olette's equally devout hands. Still, despite the first few, small, yet promising leads they had uncovered, there was still a fair share of disappointment among the group as they set off for their next destination. Sora in particular was steeped in that disappointment as he sat at the ship's helm, thinking of little else but Roxas and the earnest promise he had made to him. A promise that, by all accounts, he didn't know when or how he'd actually end up fulfilling.

By and large it seemed as though both Donald and Goofy had picked up on their young companion's worried listlessness as they simply let him ruminate in dissatisfied silence for quite some time. However, both of them were still mindful of their larger mission, a mission that they both mutually decided to remind Sora of as gently as they could.

"Uh… Sora?" Goofy ventured, leaning forward in his seat a bit. "Don'tcha think we should get goin'?"

"You know, to find the thirteen Keys?" Donald added, a hint of further insistence in his tone. "We really should get on that. You don't want the Organization to get their hands on them first, do you?"

"No, of course I don't," Sora frowned back at the pair. "It's just… I don't know, it feels like we didn't really _do_ much of anything to help Roxas like we wanted to…"

"Aw, but we did!" Goofy reassured. "We got Hayner, Pence, and Olette to help us out, not to mention Ienzo lookin' into the other Twilight Town for us."

"Yeah, I know," Sora nodded halfheartedly. "And it's not like I'm not grateful for their help, but… I was just hoping we'd be able to figure something out _sooner_. Roxas shouldn't have to wait any longer than he already has. He shouldn't have to wait on _me_."

Donald and Goofy shared a concern look at this, both of them knowing just how important this matter was to Sora. It was no secret that the Keybearer often felt the need to take the weight of the worlds onto his shoulders, especially when it came to helping those in need. And given just how personal the connection between Sora and his Nobody was, it only made sense that he would take his self-imposed mission to bring Roxas back as seriously as he was.

For as much of a loss for comforting words as the captain and the magician were, fortunately the encouragement Sora clearly needed at the moment came from another source instead. "You know, Sora," Jiminy began, hopping up onto the Keybearer's shoulder. "Just because we didn't find that much out in Twilight Town _doesn't _mean we might not find any other clues somewhere else!"

"That's right," Goofy said as Donald nodded his agreement. "We still got a whole bunch of worlds we to explore while we look for the Keys."

"And maybe we'll find something that could help us help Roxas along the way too!" Donald added just as fervently.

"Yeah, maybe…" Sora sighed, knowing that this wasn't as clear-cut of a solution as he would have liked. Still, he knew just as well as the others that their mission to find the thirteen Keys was a high priority, so much so that the fate of all the worlds practically depended on it. Which meant that as much as he hated to put it off any further than he already had, saving Roxas would just have to wait. "Well, I guess we're not really getting any closer to those Keys by just sitting here, huh?" At this, he stood, summoning his Keyblade and aiming it forward, towards the vast expanse of open space ahead of them. "Look out worlds, here we come!"

Despite this bold proclamation, nothing really seemed to happen. The usual burst of light that converged around the Kingdom Key's tip was nowhere to be found; no shimmering gateways leading to any sort of uncharted world materialized among the many surrounding stars. All the same, Sora maintained his focus on his weapon for just a moment longer, hoping this was some sort of odd fluke, only for the lack of any response to remain a disappointing constant. "Aw, come on, seriously?" he huffed in annoyance, drawing his Keyblade back in so he could properly inspect it. "What's going on with this thing late…ly…?" Sora trailed off, raising a confused eyebrow as he stole a second glance down at his Keyblade. Etched into its otherwise pristine silver surface was what appeared to be a small, yet, dark crack, a marring mark of uneven damage he was sure he'd never seen before. As far as he knew, there were few things in any world that were strong and powerful enough to damage a Keyblade in such a way, much less anything he'd encountered in battle recently. So what, then, could have created a mark as clear and cutting as this?

"Er… what if you're having a hard time opening up a gate since none of us really know where to look first?" Goofy guessed evenly, neither him nor Donald able to see the rather damming crack in Sora's Keyblade.

"Figures you wouldn't know where we're supposed to be going, as usual…" the magician remarked, sending the Keybearer a critical glance as he crossed his arms.

"How am I supposed to in the first place?" Sora retorted, quickly letting his Keyblade disappear in a meager attempt to distract himself from the troubling damage it had apparently sustained. "It wasn't like Master Yen Sid gave us a map and said 'go here, here, and here, and you'll find all of the Keys'! Honestly, I wish he _had _done that," he sighed, flopping back down into his seat. "It would have made our job _way _easier here."

"Well, if what I jotted down in the journal is right," Jiminy noted, scrolling through his records on their new home: the Gummiphone. "Master Yen Sid said that each of the Keys is connected to "the feelings of the heart". It _is _a clue, but then again, I suppose it's not a very clear one, is it?"

"You can say that again…" Sora shook his head, thoroughly disgruntled. "These Keys could be _anywhere_ and we don't know where to even _start _looking for them! Heck, for all we know, the Organization could already have _half _of them by now, maybe more!" He paused for a moment, staring out at the seemingly endless array of stars before them, each of them a world that could have very well contained just one of the mere thirteen Keys that they wanted, _needed _to find before it was too late. "Everyone's counting on us to get those Keys. So what are we going to do if we can't even find _one _of them to begin with?"

As much as neither Donald, Goofy, nor Jiminy alike wanted to admit it, what Sora had just purposed was indeed a very real possibility, and a very alarming one at that. There was every chance that, with their greater numbers as exponential dark powers, the still relatively unknown members of Organization XIII could very well already be beating them to the punch when it came to finding the Keys they were all equally vying to find. And all the while, the four of them could just as well be leagues behind, with no leads, no hints, no hope of protecting the worlds and the very Keys to Kingdom Hearts itself as they had been tasked to do.

It was a grim reality, to be sure. A reality that the three of them refused to accept, especially this early on into their fledgling quest. "Aw, phooey!" Donald suddenly snapped in firm resilience. "Don't tell us you're giving up _this _soon, Sora!"

"W-what? I'm not giving up!" Sora protested, flustered by the very thought. "I'm just saying this whole thing is already turning out to be a lot harder than we thought it would be and-"

"And so what?" Goofy interupted just as insistently. "We've done a lot of hard things before: deafeatin' the Heartless, savin' the worlds, the list goes on! How's finding a bunch of silly ol' Keys any worse than that?"

"I'm not saying it is!" Sora argued back, openly frustrated by this point. "But how are we supposed to find those Keys in the first place if I can't even do something as _easy_ as summon a gate to another world?!"

"Well…" Jiminy interjected somewhat hesitantly. "What if the reason why you seem to be having so much trouble has to do with you losin' your strength?"

"But if that's true, then how was I able to get us to Herc's world before?" Sora countered with a fretful frown. He was half tempted to summon his Keyblade once more, speculating that perhaps the unexplainable damage done to it factored into this problem more than anything else. However, before he could even reach his hand out to do so, Goofy spoke up to propose an alternate theory instead.

"It _could _always be somethin' really simple," the captain suggested. "Like, just for example, ya could just be worn out from everything that's happened since we set out."

"…What?" Sora asked flatly, confused.

"Oh yeah!" Donald sent the Keybearer a disapproving look. "Sora, when was the last time you _actually _rested up? You know, like you're _supposed _to?"

"Uh… w-well… there was the end of my exam when I was-"

"_After _that!" the magician fussed hotly.

"Um… I think it was… hm…." Sora trailed off, unable to really recall the last time he had taken a genuine break since they'd set out for Olympus. And given all of the harrowing happenings they'd been through both there and in Twilight Town, he couldn't deny that he _did _feel tired at least on _some _level, though nowhere near to the point that mere exhaustion alone could be hindering him _this _much. Or at least, that's what he thought.

"That's it!" Donald concluded sharply. "This ship isn't going anywhere until _you've _gotten all the rest you need to get it moving again!"

"What?!" Sora exclaimed, baffled as he met the magician's stern glare. "Oh come on, Donald! You can't just tell me to go to bed like I'm some little kid!"

"Maybe I wouldn't have to if you'd stop acting like one!" Donald shot back. "You need to start taking better care of yourself!"

"Hey, I take care of myself just fine!" Sora argued just as crossly. "Don't I, Goofy?"

"Uh… well, garwsh, Sora, you know I'd usually say yes, but…" Goofy frowned worriedly. "After everything that happened back in Twilight Town what with you seein' Roxas' memories 'n all, it might not be such a bad idea for you to get a lil' shut-eye before we really start lookin' for the Keys."

"Aw, really? You too?" Sora huffed, disappointed. "Well, you can both forget it. We _need _to find those Keys and we can't afford to waste time just because you guys _think_ I need to rest. Besides, I'm not even ti-" The Keybearer suddenly cut himself off with a long, blatant yawn, one that he couldn't have tried to hide or suppress even if he wanted to. A long beat of silence followed, with Donald and Goofy sending him equal knowing, expectant looks that were finally, inevitably enough to get Sora to cave. "Ugh, _fine_…" he grumbled, standing up. "I guess I'll go take a nap or something…"

"Aw, now, Sora, don't be like that," Goofy chastised patiently as the Keybearer began trudging towards the lower deck door.

"You'll thank us later when you're well-rested and _actually _ready to explore the words," Donald concluded, crossing his arms with a satisfied smirk.

"_Sure_, I will…" Sora deadpanned, both embarrassed and defeated as he left the cockpit. The Gummi Ship was already small and compact to begin with, yet surprisingly enough its lower sleeping quarters were rather spacious, complete with three comfy hammocks that the trio readily took to after most of their more tiring escapades. The Keybearer flopped down into his usual spot with an annoyed huff, not really bothering to settle in or get comfortable since he had no real intentions of sleeping to begin with.

"I don't know what they're so worried about…" he muttered to himself discontentedly as he positioned his arms behind his head and stared up at the ceiling. "Just because I lost my strength doesn't mean they have to act like I can't do anything anymore." Sora paused, his bitterness all too quickly fading into apprehension as he reached a hand up to summon his Keyblade. "Then again…" he trailed off, fixing his gaze on the solitary scar marring the Kingdom Key in such a foul, mysterious way. Slowly, carefully, he trailed a light finger along the deep, jagged crack, still wondering where it had come from in the first place, and if it could possibly get any worse from here.

Of course, those were wonderings Sora had no answer to himself, but he did know of someone who might. After all, as far as he'd heard, Riku's old Keyblade had been all but destroyed in his and Mickey's most recent visit to the Realm of Darkness. So certainly, if anyone would know about Keyblade damage, it'd be him.

So Sora quickly sat up, pulling the Gummiphone out of his pocket. While he was still getting used to how the device worked, fortunately Jiminy had already taken the liberty of showing him how to use it to make calls just about anywhere among the worlds. It was a feature he hadn't really had much of a chance to use yet, but the Keybearer figured that there'd be no better candidate to try it out on than Riku.

A few awkward, somewhat uncertain taps later and Sora instantly perked up the moment he heard ringing on the other end of the line. The thought of simply talking to Riku, even from a distance like this, was more than enough to excite him, even despite the somewhat worrisome topic he wanted to ask him about. However, instead of receiving any such answer, or even a conversation in general, Sora was ultimately met with a simple, disappointing message from the Gummiphone instead: _"Call failed."_

"Aw, come on…" Sora sighed, lying back down in clear disappointment, until the chimed in with another brief instruction.

"_Leave a message?"_

"Wait, you can leave messages on this thing too!?" Sora darted upright, amazed as he looked to the phone once more. It seemed to be recording him, likely for the sake of being delivered to Riku himself sometime later on, the Keybearer quickly, excitedly realized. "Oh! Hi, Riku! I… guess you missed me? Probably 'cause you and the king are _super _busy trying to help Master Aqua, which—I know, I know, is _really _important and I shouldn't be distracting you from it, but…" Sora hesitated, glancing down at his Keyblade and the disconcerting scratch torn across it briefly. Once again, that same sort of bizarre dread he had felt when him and Riku had parted ways panged upon his heart. Dread that, someway or another, directed him away from the very reason he had tried to make this call in the first place. "B-but… I just wanted to check in and see how you're doing, s-so… so yeah. Call me back whenever you can, ok? I… I'll talk to you later." He stopped short one final time, wanting to say so much more but simply not finding the words as he brought his message to its succinct, unsatisfying close. "B-bye!"

The very moment he finally hung the unsuccessful call up, Sora let out a loud, frustrated groan, shielding his eyes with his arm as he let the Gummiphone fall by the wayside and his Keyblade disappear. He knew, he _knew _he had promised Riku that he'd be the first to know if anything was wrong or awry, a promise that Sora _wanted _to honor, one that he knew he'd do well to keep. Clearly, something was wrong here, his Keyblade alone was proof enough of that, and while he had no real idea how to address that anomaly with either Donald or Goofy, a strong part of him believed that Riku, more than anyone else really, would understand, would be able to do something to help. And yet, for whatever reason, it was is if the very thought of admitting to his longtime best friend that he was dealing with something that was beyond both his comprehension and control was far more difficult than any Heartless or Nobody he had ever had to face.

At the same time, Sora found himself falling even deeper into his restless guilt upon realizing that, in his message he'd also failed to mention anything that had happened in Twilight Town. Between the onslaught of his Nobody's memories being thrust upon him and the discouraging words from both Ansem and Xemnas, there would have been plenty to tell Riku about for sure. And yet, the more the Keybearer thought on it, the better off he probably was not speaking to that later encounter in particular. After all, Sora figured, certainly the last thing Riku needed with all of the other pressures he was facing, was to worry over the very low likelihood that all of his hard work in saving him from Xehanort's schemes had been for nothing in the end.

A very low likelihood… _but still a likelihood all the same_.

Sora took in a sharp breath at this, quickly shaking the troubling thought out of his mind. As he had told Donald and Goofy, he was confident that all of Ansem and Xemans' talk of him being their thirteenth vessel was nothing more than a part of the seemingly endless string of lies the Organization was known for. A crafty, perhaps even clever tactic to try and make him doubt both himself and his mission, but one that the Keybearer refused to let get the better of him. Certainly, there was no way in any of the worlds that such a thing could possibly be true. If it was, then he would know, he'd be able to feel it… wouldn't he?

But then there was the voice, the vicious pull against his heart pairing with it to captivate and control him against his will. The pall of darkness framed by the deepest of rage that had fallen over him in Olympus, darkness he had only barely stumbled his way out of. The dark, almost sinister crack running through the surface of his once strong, sturdy, and steady Keyblade, a place where such a gnarling mark should have never even been. Was there a chance that all of those things were connected somehow? Or worse yet, was there a chance that they were all pointing towards the frightening possibility, however small, that it was all somehow true after all?

Sora let out a deep, somewhat uneven sigh as he closed his eyes, trying his hardest to block out such a dark, downright horrifying notion out of his mind, only to—of course—think of nothing else. Ansem's ominous, almost threatening claim in particular practically seemed to ring through his thoughts in a constant, chilling loop:

"_You can feel it, can't you?"_

The problem was, he _could _feel it at that moment: that gripping, almost unbearable agony slicing through his heart, his very being like a flame-seared knife.

"_Already the darkness has started to take a hold upon your heart."_

Unfortunately, that was a fact he couldn't really argue against, if the horrific incident in Olympus was anything to go off of.

"_And through that darkness, soon you will find yourself helpless to resist the master's call to join our ranks as the vessel you are destined to be."_

Destined. Pushed. _Forced_. Forced into something he wanted no parts of, into something he had always done everything in his power to oppose and fight against with every ounce of strength he had. If those claims were somehow correct, then that was the future that awaited him, the fate that he would be forcefully, mercilessly thrust into, whether he wanted it or not. Which was why every single fiber of his being hoped against the warning signs, resolved to look past whatever they might mean for the exact opposite: that his heart would remain his own and stay far out of the devastating, destructive reach of the twisted man who had already ruined so many lives and still stood to ruin so many more.

_Including his own._

* * *

_Perfect sunsets were practically a constant on the Destiny Islands, and this one was no exception. The sun-kissed sands and shimmering sea were sights that Sora, Riku, and Kairi were all too used to by now. Yet as spectacularly beautiful as they always were, more often than not, the trio had found themselves mutually longing to see what lay beyond their simple island home. To venture to other worlds, experience all they had to offer, to voyage anywhere and everywhere, together through it all. And with the near-completion of their humble raft, what had once only been a distant, daunting dream was soon about to at long last, become a reality. _

"_So, Kairi's home is out there somewhere, right?" Sora asked, going back to their unfinished conversation from earlier. _

"_Could be," Riku said, positioned against the paopu tree. "We'll never know by staying here."_

"_But how far could a raft take us?" Sora wondered, leaning forward slightly. _

"_Who knows? If we have to, we'll think of something else."_

"_So suppose you _do _get to another world," Kairi cut in, curious. "What would you do there?"_

"_Well, I haven't really thought about it." Riku kept his sights on the endless sea stretching before them as he spoke. "It's just… I've always wondered why we're here on this island. If there are any other worlds out there, why did we end up on this one? And suppose there _are _other worlds… Then ours is just a little piece of something much greater. So we could have just as easily ended up somewhere else, right?"_

"_I don't know," Sora concluded, casually reclining back on his spot on the tree. _

"_Exactly," Riku nodded, assured of his theory. "That's why we need to go out there and find out. Just sitting here won't change a thing. It's the same old stuff. So let's go."_

_A bout of long silence filled in between the trio after this, permeated only by the predictably-timed, gently-crashing surf as it washed onto the nearby shore. Indeed, there seemed to be so much more outside of the boundaries of the world they had always known, so much to do, so much to see, and so little time for it all. Still, the door to it whatever might be out there stood large and looming before them. All they had to do was open it and find out what whatever might be waiting on the other side. _

"This world…" Sore spoke up, moved by a sudden, compulsory thought. His tone was quiet, calm, yet laced with a strange sort of disdain as he sat up, the golden glow from the blazing sunset seeming to take over his eyes altogether. "It's just… too small…"

He flinched in surprise the very moment the words left his mouth. Never, _ever _before, had such a strange, almost alarming thought crossed his mind before, even regardless of their upcoming journey to leave that world behind. The Destiny Islands were his home, the place where everything and everyone he cared about and ever had cared about all resided. But for the briefest of moments, some bitter, unwelcome part of him felt trapped within them, as if they were a prison, a cage. And yet, for as foreign and downright frightening as that feeling had been, what was even more disconcerting yet was that both Riku and Kairi seemed to _agree _with him.

"You're right…" Kairi said, her voice oddly hollow, lacking the usual bright warmth Sora always knew it to carry. He quickly glanced over at her, her eyes concealed in shadows cast by the darkening sunset as a small, unreadable smile began to creep across her lips. "It is…"

"It always has been…" Riku added just as ominously, facing away from the pair beside him altogether just as the sun finally sank below the horizon altogether. "It's about time you finally realized that, Sora…"

"W-what?" Sora asked tightly, though he received no response from either of his friends. Instead, their silence was quickly filled in as the gentle ocean breeze picked up into a gale force wind almost instantly. Sora half slipped, half fell off the paopu tree as the once warm and rosy sky was tossed into inexplicable darkness, the sea taking on the same inky shade as the play island began to split apart at the seems behind them. Against the sudden tumult of the world itself violently coming undone all around them, Sora naturally panicked, something that neither Riku nor Kairi seemed to share as they remained as still and strangely calm as ever.

"R-Riku!" he gasped, barely able to even hear himself amidst the whipping winds. "Something's wrong! We need to-" Sora stopped short, shocked as he only barely skimmed Riku's arm in an attempt to grab it, only for his best friend to vanish away into the nothingness overtaking the islands as a whole, as if he had never even been there at all.

Sora barely even had a chance to respond to this outside of a huge rush of unspoken grief as he quickly turned to Kairi, reaching to grab her hand to try and save her from the same horrific fate. "Kairi, I-I don't know what's-" He froze, the first hints of tears starting to well up in his eyes the moment he felt Kairi's unmoving hand fade out of his. And sure enough, in seconds, just like Riku, just like everything else he knew and loved, she was gone.

He didn't even notice as what little was left of the island followed suit. In fact, he barely even noticed as the ground gave way underneath him, sending him into a free fall into the endless darkness that remained in its wake. Overwhelmed with anguish over his lost home, his lost _friends _as he was, the incredible pain that jarred through every single part of his body barely even seemed to register as he finally struck the unknown glass surface down below. And for what seemed like ages, that's exactly where he lay, completely unmoving, his chest heaving with sobs that would come over all everything that had been torn away from him in one single, devastating sweep.

"_Giving up already? Come on, Sora, I thought you were stronger than that."_

"R-Riku?!" Sora bolted upright, the brightest burst of hope breaking through the pounding pain as he searched the darkness surrounding him for any signs of life. The colorful glass beneath him had been broken by his heavy impact, to the point that whatever design had been etched into its surface all but unrecognizable thanks to the heavy cracks marring it. Still, none of that mattered to Sora the moment he spotted a single figure, clad in a familiar black cloak, standing out upon the scattered shards afar in the distance. "Riku!"

In an instant, Sora was back on his feet, running to bridge the gap between himself and who he assumed, who he desperately _hoped _was his seemingly lost friend. If it really was Riku, then there was no doubt that between the two of them, they'd be able to find Kairi and restore the islands. Together, they'd be able to restore the ruined, broken pieces of their peaceful lives once and for all.

It almost sounded too good to be true. And of course, that's exactly what it was.

"Riku!" Sora couldn't suppress a relieved smile as he finally reached the cloaked figure, not hesitating to reach a hand up towards him. "I can't believe I found-"

As soon as the cloak figure even slightly turned to face him, the Keybearer instantly drew his hand away from him, as if he had touched the hottest of fires instead. And by all accounts, he might as well have, considering who really was standing before him now: Young Xehanort.

"Well? Go on," he said calmly, knowingly as Sora stumbled back with a frightened gasp. "I'd be very interested to know what exactly is it that you think you've found."

The Keybearer's breath hitched at this, eclipsed by the same sort of fear that he had known in the final moments of his last encounter with this sinister foe, right before he had been lost to a cold, dark slumber that had been meant to condemn him to an equally cold, dark fate. Even so, the thought of someone like Young Xehanort especially seeing that sort of deep, unshakable fear was one that Sora refused to accept. Which was why he forced himself to snap into a state of determined resistance, a Keyblade appearing in his hands as he took up a warning defensive stance against his enemy.

"That's _none _of your business," Sora retorted sharply, tightening his grip on his Keyblade. "Now, leave me alone already! I already told Ansem and Xemnas that whatever plans you have about me becoming your vessel _aren't _going to work, so get lost!"

The younger master smirked at this, as if amused by the Keybearer's brazen, earnest show of defiance. "I have a better idea," he said, extending a hand out as darkness began to converge around it. "Why don't _you_?"

As the burst of darkness escaped from Young Xehanort's reach, Sora couldn't help but instinctively flinch away from it, believing himself to be its target. However, that didn't seem to be the case, for when he opened his eyes, he found that the shattered stain glass and the inky blackness surrounding it gone, but instead, replaced by a vast, white, opulent chamber instead. He was somehow positioned in the center of this hall, Young Xehanort still standing apace from him, both of them surrounded by an unbroken circle of thirteen towering thrones of varying heights. The disconcerting setting rung familiar with Sora in a way he couldn't quite place, but even so, he kept his guard up against his foe all the same, wary of any other odd tricks he might have up his sleeve.

"I see that there's still so little you actually understand," Young Xehanort began, his tone as even and icy as ever. "But worry not. As soon as you come to take your rightful place among our ranks, everything will at last become perfectly clear."

"Like that's ever gonna happen," Sora countered with a relentless glare. "How many times do I have to you? I'll _never _be one of your vessels, no matter how much you _think _you can force me into it!"

Of all things, Young Xehanort let out a small, almost mocking chuckle at this as he shook his head. "Oh, Sora, I'm not forcing you into anything," he said quite condescendingly. "The hidden darkness residing in the depths of your own heart has always been there. All we're doing is tapping into that darkness to claim it, and you, as our own. And if any sort of foolish doubts remain in your mind, then simply take a look at your Keyblade for a glimpse of the truth."

"My Keyblade?" Sora raised a confused eyebrow, having not paid his weapon any attention in this encounter until now. However, when he actually did spare a cursory glance down at it, he quickly wished he hadn't. For instead of the Kingdom Key he was always used to seeing, the Keyblade in his hands now was of dark, almost demonic design, sharp and twisted in just about every way, from its knife-like edges, to its bold, sinister etchings, to the chilling, singular blue eye resting near its tip. Alarmed by its very appearance alone, Sora was quick to dismiss the weapon in the hopes of actually summoning his own this time, only for the very same black blade to show up in his grasp once again. "W-what is this?!"

"Proof," Young Xehanort answered, disappearing only to reappear in one of the several surrounding high thrones. "Proof that you cannot escape your fate, regardless of how you might aspire to try. Slow and steady as your fall may be, you will still fall all the same. And when you do, we'll all be waiting."

At this, the every single one of the other thrones in the room filled up as well, each by a different member of Organization XIII, all of their faces were concealed by the shadows of the dark hoods they were wearing. All of them, save for Young Xehanort and the figure who had just arrived from the shadows at his spot on the tallest throne of them all: Master Xehanort himself.

The Keybearer only had the briefest of chances to glance up at the elderly master before the ominous Keyblade was more or less forced out of his hands by the overwhelming agony that shot through his heart like a flame-tipped arrow. He instantly collapsed to his hands and knees, unable to do much else, even let out the pressing cry of pain that was practically begging to be released from his throat. From his lofty throne, Xehanort simply smirked down at the display of suffering before him, sadistically satisfied that it was happening to begin with. Sora, however, wasn't about to let him have that satisfaction at his expense for too long, even despite the anguish still pervading just about every single one of his senses.

"N-no…" the Keybearer gasped, pressing a hand against his aching heart as he forced his weak voice to be as loud as he could manage. "No, I… y-you won't… I… I can't be-"

"You are," the elderly master finally spoke up. "Deep down, certainly, you already know that you are, despite your pathetic attempts at convincing yourself of the contrary. There is no point in trying to delude yourself any further; accept what awaits you and rid yourself of your unending sorrow once and for all."

Though he knew he was already treading on incredibly dangerous ground, Sora let out a scoff at this, finally working up the energy and the nerve to glare up at the distant master. "I-I… I can handle a little pain just fine, b-believe me."

"The 'pain' your own foolish resistance is bringing you wasn't what I meant," Xehanort shook his head, still wearing that sinister smirk all the while. "What I speak of is the great burden you've been forced to bear through no choice of your own. The weight of the worlds on your shoulders, the fates of so many lost souls all depending on your success alone…. All such momentous, cumbersome responsibilities for a boy as young and innocent as yourself, responsibilities that, by all accounts, shouldn't solely fall to you in the first place. Out of anything else, that's certainly something you can't deny, can you, Sora?"

The Keybearer finally stilled at this, his harsh expression dissolving away into several other emotions at once: confusion, worry, fear, and sadness, all as he realized that no, he really couldn't deny any of what the elderly master had just said. From the very moment he had first been torn from his island and his friends, his once-normal life had become a rapid, aggressive whirlwind, one that never seemed to stop and let him revel in his victories, however small they might sometimes be, along the way. And stuck in the middle of that whirlwind, there he was, tasked with—no, _expected _to dive headfirst into constant danger in the hopes of completing a mission so momentous and so important that the worlds themselves would fall into sure destruction and devastation if he failed it. These were odds that he had faced before, but the stakes always seemed to grow higher and heavier, to the point that he wasn't sure how much longer he'd be able to struggle under the weight of it all before it crushed him completely.

"Fortunately for you, however," Xehanort interjected, not giving Sora much of a chance to answer at all. "Very soon those immense burdens will no longer be yours to carry. For once you submit to your proper role as my thirteenth vessel… then shall your heart finally, _truly _be set free."

Whatever small seeds of doubt the elderly master might have sowed were quickly ripped away when Sora heard this. Instead, his former resilience returned tenfold as he forced himself beyond the crippling agony, staggering to stand and stare Xehanort down with every ounce of defiance he had left to give. "Y-you really think _that's_ what freedom is?" the Keybearer challenged boldly. "Taking people's hearts away from them and using them as your own? Because if you ask me, that sounds like the exact _opposite _of freedom, and just in case you _still _haven't gotten the picture already, its something I don't want _any _part of!"

Xehanort's near-constant smile finally fell somewhat into a disapproving scowl at this outburst, though even so, he hardly seemed moved by it as he simply shook his head. "I had a feeling you wouldn't make this easy for us, Sora," he began, closing his eyes thoughtfully. "Then again, I suppose that's what will make this all the more… _interesting_. For as difficult as this lengthy process might be for us, it will be _infinitely _more agonizing for _you_."

The once-dulled pain came rushing right back into the Keybearer's heart at full force as the elderly master clenched his gloved hand tightly, immense darkness swirling around it all the while. This time, however, he wasn't granted the luxury of being able to fall, but instead was stuck standing, as if he had been frozen in place so he could be forced to listen to whatever Xehanort had to say next.

"You may say that you do not _want _to become a vessel for my heart," the elderly master suddenly vanished from his towering throne, only to reappear on the platform below, directly in front of his unmoving victim. "But I'm afraid you have no choice. For you see, Sora… your heart already belongs to me."

Xehanort's almost mocking sneer returned in full force at this, especially as he pointed a finger out towards Sora, or more specifically, his heart. As frozen and stiff as he was, the Keybearer couldn't see that the result of this was practically instantaneous. A dark sort of glow bloomed over his heart, which spread to cover his hands and a good portion of his arms, painting them a sinister shadowy shade. The usual chestnut brown color his hair was known to have was quickly overtaken by a spotless snowy white, and his eyes, normally as blue as the depths of the oceans themselves, took on the same sort of haunting, hollow gold that filled Xehanort's own. But even if Sora wasn't completely cognizant of these horrific transformations, what he _was _aware of was the relentless, blinding, absolutely _unbearable _anguish essentially strangling his heart, splitting out from there to every other part of his body so intensely that he was genuinely shocked that he was still even conscious amidst it at all.

"Feel free to try and run and hide all you'd like," Xehanort continued, walking towards the Keybearer with an intentionally slow pace as he took in the look of absolute agony and terror clearly showing on his face with cool, calm confidence. "Continue to lie to your companions, your friends, even yourself that you're safe and sound and not slipping into the darkness you're already standing knee-deep in. But know that there is no world you can go to where you can escape from me. There is nothing, _nothing _you can do to free yourself from your final fate."

By now, tears had finally started to well up in Sora's now-yellow eyes, his heart and mind both _begging _for any sort of release, a plea that he wasn't even permitted to voice aloud thanks to the unyielding hold the elderly master had over him. Try as he had to not show any sort of fear in front of his foe, he was largely unable to do anything else now. The mere thought of this wicked, merciless man ripping away all sense of autonomy away from him, forcing him to follow his treacherous, ruinous commands, tearing him and his heart away from everything he knew and loved and wanted to protect, was so horrific and devastating that he couldn't even begin to bear it. In fact, the very notion, a notion that seemed all too real here and now, was so awful and horrifying that he felt as though the weight of everything he stood to lose was quickly starting to crush him. And the worst part of it all, was that Xehanort was absolutely right; there was _nothing _he could do to stop it.

"What a great irony it is that the so-called 'hero' of the Keyblade who restored light to countless worlds time and time again will ultimately become the key that will send them all into everlasting darkness once and for all," Xehanort mused evenly as he continued to approach the agonized Keybearer. "For when the time comes that you have fully submitted to my power, then not only shall you be the one to deliver to me the thirteen Keys to the Kingdom, but through you, I shall lay claim to the very heart of all worlds itself: Kingdom Hearts!"

Upon hearing the absolutely horrendous plans the elderly master had in store for him, Sora wanted to scream, struggle, fight, do _anything _at all to save himself and literally everyone and everything else from such a gruesome fate. And yet, just as before, he couldn't move, he couldn't resist, he couldn't do a single thing to keep Xehanort from getting exactly what he wanted. He was trapped, in so many different, terrible ways he couldn't even begin to list them all if he tried.

"And since you're already here, I see no point in delaying the inevitable any further," The elderly master had finally reached the Keybearer, and had slowly begun extending a hand towards him to finally claim his heart once and for all. The most Sora could do was let out a small, strained, pleading sob, one that Xehanort clearly heard, but hardly cared for as he continued to make his sadistic approach. "Surrender your heart now to me, my thirteenth and final vessel, and open the door to the source of all light, darkness, and life itself!"

As the elderly master came within mere inches of skimming his heart, Sora was overcome by so much sheer, raw, _pain _that he almost thought it might end up killing him then and there. Which, all things considered, very well might have been a better fate for him than what Xehanort had in mind. And he was just about ready to submit himself to just as despicable of an end before something that was nothing short of a miracle happened.

Just as it seemed as though Xehanort had completely reached the Keybearer's agonized heart, the entire white room was engulfed in the brightest of light. So intense was its radiance that it seemed to banish every speck of darkness in its path, from the observing, unknown members of Organization XIII sitting high upon their surrounding thrones, to even Master Xehanort himself. Sora felt control of his movements return to him in a full force wave, finally allowing him to fall to his knees and try to recover from the still-panging pain pulling on his heart, though thankfully it was finally starting to fade somewhat. He hadn't the faintest idea as to what was going on, though he was aptly amazed upon taking a glance up to see that the light that had rescued him had condensed itself down into three vaguely human silhouettes. They stood between the Keybearer and a large, writing mass of immense, unimaginable darkness, though even so, they seemed to be guarding him from it, never letting its vicious tendrils touch him, despite its most aggressive efforts.

Amidst his own exhaustion and confusion, Sora didn't know what to make of any of this, though his dumbfounded shock only grew tenfold as the practically blinding glow surrounding one of the three figures finally dulled a bit, making their identity instantly clear.

"R-Roxas?!" Sora gasped, recognizing his Nobody even from behind without a moment's doubt.

Roxas smiled as he glanced back at his other, his manner strong and sturdy and confident in every place where Sora's currently wasn't. "Look sharp!" he encouraged, intentionally calling back to one of their few, all too brief encounters in the past.

"I-I… I don't understand," Sora shook his head, aptly baffled to the point that he didn't even notice that his hair, eyes, and hands had all returned to normal. "How… how are you… w-what are you doi-"

"Its ok," Roxas interjected, still calm even despite the swirling shadows behind him. "You don't have to understand. All you need to know is that you're safe. We're not about to let him take over, are we?"

By now, the other two figures alongside Roxas had cleared somewhat, though Sora couldn't make out much of their features outside of the fact that one of them seemed to be a girl around their age, while the other looked conspicuously like his Nobody. They both smiled and nodded warmly in response to the question Roxas posed, and though he turned towards the Keybearer for a similar answer, he was largely hard pressed to give one at a moment like this.

"Roxas, I-I… I'm sorry," Sora began, going off on another tangent entirely. "I don't know what's going on, b-but I want you to—no, I _need _you to know that I'm gonna find a way to get you out of my heart. I-I don't care what I have to do, I _will _do it. I promise."

Roxas' smile finally faded at this, concern and surprise washing over his features instead, almost as if he hadn't expected such an earnest, resolved vow from his other. He paused, glancing back at the darkness he was helping to hold back, then to the two unknown figures flanking him, before finally looking back to Sora himself with a solemn, serious sort of expression. "Sora…" Roxas said with what almost sounded like a sad sigh. "I… t-thank you, but… you don't have to do that."

"What are you talking about?" Sora asked, compelled by the recollection of all of the memories his Nobody had shared with him, directly or not. "Of _course _I do! Y-you deserve to be free and with your friends and-"

"And so do you," Roxas countered, glancing away. "Which is why, at least for now, I need to stay here. All three of us do."

"W-what…?" was all the Keybearer could manage as tears started to well up in his eyes.

"You kept us safe, Sora," the dark-haired girl said with a smile, her eyes still largely concealed as she turned to him slightly.

"You gave us a second chance when we needed it most," the other boy added, his voice sounding almost identical to Roxas' though they weren't quite the same.

"You protected our hearts inside of your own," Roxas finished, his soft, thankful smile returning. He extended a hand out to Sora, clearly with the intent of helping him up, though the gesture seemed to imply so much more. "Now let us return the favor. I know you'll find a way to save us someday, but right now, we're going to do everything we can to save you."

The distant darkness finally seemed to wither and fade away at this proclamation, as if repulsed by such a powerful promise. Yet even despite this, Sora was far from satisfied by what it really meant. "B-but Roxas, I-I-"

"It's like I told you before, Sora," Roxas continued, his tone bittersweet as he once again implored his other to take his hand. "It _has _to be you. Which is why it's time for you to wake up. Are you ready?"

Instantly, Sora understood the many layers behind this question, knowing exactly what Roxas was asking if he was ready for: to begin his search for the thirteen Keys, to find a way to bring the guardians of light together, to face the darkness that had somehow found a way to pervade even his own heart. These were all great feats that, before, the Keybearer hadn't felt entirely prepared for. But with his Nobody in his heart and his friends standing by his side, for perhaps the first time, he felt as though he really could pull it all off after all.

"Y-yes," Sora said as firmly as he could, finally taking Roxas' hand. "I'm ready."

"Good," Roxas' smile grew at this and the two figures standing at his sides took on the same supportive look as light converged around all three of them once again. "Then I'll see you soon," The immense glow began to overtake Sora as well, blinding him from everything but the warm, pure, healing warmth welling up inside his chest as both other and Nobody reaffirmed their separate vows one final time.

"_I promise."_

* * *

Sora awoke with a start, darting up on his hammock so quickly that he almost fell out of it entirely. His heart was racing, his breathing short and his brow covered in a cold sweat as he tried to regather his lost bearings. As frantic as his initial waking seconds were, he hadn't even noticed that both Donald and Goofy were in the sleeping quarters as well. Both of them more or less toppled over on top of each other thanks to the scare their young companion's sudden awakening had given them. And as caught up in recovering from everything he'd just been through as he was, Sora didn't pay either of them much mind until they finally spoke up to garnish his attention.

"S-Sora?" Donald began first, his former frustration replaced with deep, genuine concern. "Are… are you ok?"

"Huh?" Sora drew in a sharp breath as he turned towards the pair. Briefly, he took a look around, finally realizing that he was back in the Gummi Ship, no signs of Xehanort and the Organization, or Roxas and his two unknown companions in sight. "W-was…. Was all of that just… just a dream…?"

"Must've been a nightmare from the looks of it," Goofy noted with a fretful frown. "And a pretty bad one too. We came down here to check on you 'cause we heard ya yelling and kickin' around, even from all the way upstairs."

"And then when we made it down here, we couldn't get you to wake up!" Donald added just as intently. He paused for a beat, sighing before looking to the Keybearer with a rare sense of gentle earnestly. "Listen, Sora. We know you've had plenty of nightmares during our adventures before…."

"And you know we've never hounded ya to tell us about 'em unless you were good and ready to," Goofy added patiently.

"But this time, we need to know," the magician continued, his tone calm yet stern all the same. "What kind of nightmare did you just have that was so bad you woke up from it _crying_?"

"Crying?" Sora repeated, confused. "I'm not-" He stopped short as he skimmed his fingers right below his eye, feeling the warm wetness of undeniably fresh fallen tears there. "Oh," was all he said, surprised by just how heavy his supposed nightmare had hit him emotionally.

"So… w-what happened?" Goofy asked cautiously. "Is it anything we can help with?"

At first, Sora said nothing, still worn and overwhelmed by about a thousand different thoughts and feelings at once. His heart was free of the pain that had oppressed it in his dream, but even so, Xehanort's horrific threats rung in his mind as loud and clear as ever. Before now, he had been secure in his doubts that he would end up becoming the Organization's last missing vessel; but now, after everything he'd heard and seen and experienced, his doubts were starting to fall towards the exact opposite end of the spectrum instead. Was there indeed a chance that it was all true, that he really was starting the long fall into inescapable darkness, right into Xehanort's hands after all? The evidence pointing towards it—the incident in Olympus, the events unfolded in Twilight Town, the mysterious damage sustained to his Keyblade, even the ominous, alarming dream he had just been pulled out of—certainly seemed to be stacking up against his favor. But even if it was true—which he was starting to realize, it very well could be—that was a defeat he wasn't quite ready to admit yet, nor would he ever be. Doing so would only let Xehanort gain an easy win, and after his brief, harrowing encounter with the elderly master—real or not—that was something Sora _refused _to let happen.

"I… I don't think so," Sora finally responded to Goofy's question, honest with this first point, though he quickly resorted to another convenient lie as he continued. After all, if this was a battle he really had to fight after all, the last thing he wanted was to drag his friends along into it with him. After all, Roxas had already decided to take this immense struggle up for him, a fact that the Keybearer reminded himself of all too painfully well. "I-it was just… I-I guess I was still worried about what might happen if we don't find all of the Keys in time, so my dream—_nightmare_—was about… that."

Both the captain and the magician's expressions went stark with fear upon hearing this, both of them sharing the same sort of unspoken dread of that terrifying possibility as well. "Do… do you wanna… talk about it anymore?" Goofy asked apprehensively.

"Not really," Sora responded truthfully, letting out a long sigh as he ran a hand through his hair. "It was kind of… a lot, if you know what I mean."

Thankfully, both Donald and Goofy seemed to understand this implication, for neither of them pressed him any further on the matter. It was with a small pang of guilt that Sora realized he might have fooled both of them _too _well, but it was a necessary deception all the same. Even if he _wanted _to tell them about what he feared was starting to befall him, he had no idea where to even start, or how they might react. And besides, it wasn't really like they had too much time to focus on what could still very well have been an unfounded fear altogether. They still had a supremely mission that they'd yet to even set out on, after all.

"So are you finally rested up and ready to go?" Donald asked, eyeing the Keybearer skeptically as he finally got up out of his hammock.

"Yep," Sora affirmed with a genuine smile as he recalled the much-needed encouragement that had capped off what had otherwise been a miserable nightmare. Encouragement from Roxas himself, and the question that once again, now prompted him to action: _"Are you ready?" _"Ready as I'll ever be."

"Good," the magician huffed impatiently while the captain let out a small chuckle, both of them following their young companion back upstairs to the cockpit. "Then let's actually start this mission _for real _this time!"

"I'm way ahead of you," Sora nodded with a wide grin. Reaching a hand towards the stars outside, he summoned his Keyblade, choosing to ignore the dark crack somewhere on its surface. Regardless of whatever sort of hold or power Xehanort and the Organization _believed _they had over him, Sora was determined to not go down without the most intense fight he could muster against them. With so much at stake—the Keys, the worlds, his friends most of all—he had plenty worth fighting for. And he was sure that, with all of those things he cared so much about combined to inspire him, to push him forward and keep his heart strong and secure, then there was no way he would let himself fall.

"_I'll see you soon," _Roxas had said, a promise that Sora chose to believe with all his heart. A promise brimming with hope and comfort that someday, everything would finally be as it should, that all of the wrongs caused by Xehanort and his followers would at long last, be set right. And as far as the Keybearer was concerned, there was no better time to start righting those wrongs, then right here and now.

"Yeah," he whispered to himself, pointing his Keyblade forward. A bright, familiar light surrounded its tip this time, bursting out beyond the ship's cockpit and out into the vast expanse of space. There, it expanded, growing and glowing as it created exactly what the trio needed to move forward: a gate. Donald and Goofy cheered over this long-awaited progress, but Sora simply smiled as he took the reigns of the Gummi Ship's controls, boldly, confidently steering towards whatever world awaited them in the first step of the daunting, daring adventure before them. "See you soon."

* * *

**And thus, a whole bunch of Disney worlds await! Which is honestly pretty exciting, I've been waiting to get to those in this fic and now that the "setup" chapters are all through, we can start things up in earnest, beginning in a similar way to how KH3 itself did it... with a _toy _sized adventure ;) Anyway, if you like what you see, feel free to drop me a REVIEW please! Until next time! :) **


	12. Chapter 11: You've Got a Friend In Me

_Aw geez, this took WAY longer than I had hoped it would, due to a bunch of different reasons (namely moving and commissions). Either way, its... ok. Way shorter than I wanted it to be, and kinda clings close to KH3 for a lot of it, but ehhhh it was sort of a rush job to get it out before I go on vacation on Sunday. Plus, I figured i might as well save all of the... juicy stuff for the next chapter, so this one is more or less setup for all of that. Either way, I hope you enjoy it for what it is! Let's get started!_

* * *

_Chapter 11: You've Got A Friend In Me_

_You've got a friend in me  
You've got a friend in me  
When the road looks rough ahead  
And you're miles and miles from your nice warm bed  
You just remember what your old pal said  
Boy, you've got a friend in me  
Yeah, you've got a friend in me_

"_Verum Rex, available now at Galaxy Toys. Gigas action figures also on sale. Get yours toda-"_

As engrossed in the dramatic video game ad as they were, Hamm and Rex both jolted in surprise when the TV was suddenly shut off as the result of Woody accidentally stepping on the remote. "Hey! I was watching that!" Rex fussed, even though he had already seen the commercial several times before.

"Ah, sorry!" Woody shifted the weight of the alphabet block in his arms as he continued on his way across the bed. "But this is no time for television, Rex."

The dinosaur pouted a bit at this before his piggy bank companion nabbed his attention. "Gotta say, that Gigas is pretty impressive."

"Really?" Rex asked, his near-encyclopedic knowledge on the hit fantasy game serving him well here. "I like Yozora most!"

"Shh!" Woody suddenly pounced on the pair, essentially forcing them to take cover on the far side of the bed.

"Woody? What gives?" Hamm asked, perturbed by the disruption.

"Quiet!" the sheriff whispered sharply, lifting up the brim of his hat slightly to better see what was all too quickly congregating on the floor down below.

"Are they back?" Buzz asked in just as hushed of a voice as he joined in on the trio's huddle.

"_Quiet_!" Woody repeated, exasperated. After all, the last thing he wanted was for their last safe haven in the entire room to be found out.

Even so, the group did inch towards the edge of the bed, staying low as they peered over to the aggressive miniature army still patrolling the floor. They appeared to be toys based on their size and plasticine features, though they were quite unlike any toys Woody, Buzz, or the others had ever encountered before. These toys were rowdy and violent, seemingly without any sort of reason as they sought out anything and everything to attack with their legitimately dangerous weapons. A lesson the toys on the bed had learned all too well over their several risky encounters with the persistent pests over the past several days alone.

"All right, fellas," Woody said, resolved. "Today's the day we show those masked guys who's boss! Is everyone in position?"

"Wait! Hold on!" Rex cried anxiously. "I don't think I'm emotionally prepared!"

"Would you calm down?" Hamm countered dryly as ever. "Don't worry. I've got you covered."

"We've all got _each other _covered," Woody reminded, nodding over to the green army men on the far shelf on the other side of the room. Sarge and his team had an idea vantage point over the invading creatures, as did the trio of Little Green Men on another adjacent shelf. They all exchanged short, and most importantly silent salutes and waves with the sheriff, solidifying that their decisive plan was ready to be put into action.

"It's go time," Buzz said to Wood, who responded with a confident nod. Of course, all of the toys knew their endeavor would be a dangerous one, especially against such a new, strange peril like these bizarre creatures. But certainly, it would all be worth it to finally rid the room they all called home of these unwanted pests. And better yet, to finally earnestly begin their search for the friends they had mysteriously lost.

* * *

Usually, whenever Sora, Donald, and Goofy first landed in a new world, they were immediately able to get a pretty good sense of the scenery and scale they were going to be exploring. From whatever vantage point they started out from, they'd typically be able to make out forests or fields or sometimes even villages or towns. But not only was this not the case in the first world they had arrived in, but they starting point had landed them in a space that was quite unlike any place they had ever visited before, to say the least.

"What in the world…?' Sora muttered to himself, aptly confused as the trio took their first tentative steps into their strange new surroundings. Upon a first glance, they appeared to be under something, based on the light shade being cast upon them. However, what was by far the most peculiar part were the surprisingly large toys littering the rather cramped space. However, as bewildering as this was, it only became moreso as they emerged out into couldn't be described as anything other than a child's bedroom. And an incredibly oversized room at that.

Or perhaps… it wasn't the room that was so large. But rather, it was the three of them that were so small.

"Oh my gosh! Have we been shrunk?!" Sora gasped as he realized this. Briefly, he glanced down at his hands only to notice just as alarming; they were stiff, hard, arguably even blocky, all traits the rest of his body seemed to share, from his somewhat changed clothes, to his hair, to his visibly ball-jointed arms and legs. "A-and look at us!" the Keybearer continued, glancing back at Donald and Goofy to see that they had both undergone a similar transformation.

"Oh calm down," Donald assured with a casual wave of his hand. "You already know what this kind of magic is for. We have to protect the world order!"

"Border?" Sora asked, confused.

"I said _order_!" the magician repeated, annoyed.

"Ohhh…" the Keybearer nodded, crossing his arms. Indeed, he was quite used to Donald's magic changing their forms to best suit some certain worlds they visited, such as Atlantica or Halloween Town. Still, Sora couldn't help but wonder what kind of world had they wandered into that required them to be so small and strangely plastic-like, almost as if they had been turned into—

"Gawrsh…" Goofy interjected, directing his companions' attention towards the other side of the room. Or rather, the armed group of darkened creatures that had taken up shop there. "Who's gonna protect the order from them?"

"Heartless!" Sora and Donald explained in startled unison, both of them calling upon their weapons in a flash. Regardless of their minuscule size and bizarre new forms, they still had a twofold job to do: to find the thirteen Keys while protecting each and every world they came across from the scourge the Heartless always seemed to serve.

At the same time, the group of toys still gathered on top of the bed was preparing to leap into action against the invading creatures themselves. "Ok," Woody said to the others as discreetly as he could, as not to attract any unwanted attention from the floor below. 'We go on three. One, two-"

"Wait!" Buzz whipped both his arms and his suit's wings out just before the others could pounce off the bed. Woody, Hamm, and Rex came to a grinding halt, all of them nearly tripping over the spaceman until they happened to spot what he already had. A trio of toys they had never seen before, boldly rushing forward with strange weapons to face the irksome creatures head-on.

"Huh? Who are those guys?" Woody asked, knowing that it had been quite some time since Andy had gotten any new toys. Especially any new toys as peculiar and brazen as these. Then again, they wouldn't be the first odd group to show up in the room as of late, something that the very creatures these new visitors were now fighting were certainly a testament to.

As for those Heartless themselves, they weren't faring especially well against opponents as equally armed as they were. Despite the blasters they wielded, their shots were loose and sloppy, something that Sora, Donald, and Goofy had quickly made note of and made sure to avoid. Fortunately, overall, this strange new subset of Heartless were rather weak and easy to mow down, even in their new tiny forms. In fact, if anything, that seemed to be an asset to them more than a hindrance; as seemingly made of sturdy plastic as their bodies now were, the worst injuries they sustained were a few surface scrapes and scratches that surprisingly didn't even hurt at all. And sure enough, the trio was able to clear out the swarm of Heatless swiftly and smoothly, though almost as soon as they had, they were approached by an entirely different group altogether.

"Are they new?"

"Heck if I know, I've never seen 'em around before."

Despite being fresh out of the heat of the recently finished battle, Sora, Donald, and Goofy all turned towards the new group coming their way. Like themselves, they were all small in size in comparison to the rest of the room, though varied in statue compared to each other. Though summed up, the group appeared to be made up of a cowboy, a spaceman, a dinosaur, and a pig, making for quite a diverse, but seemingly friendly collection overall.

"Oh! Wait! You look familiar!" the dinosaur exclaimed, excitedly clamoring towards the trio, specifically Sora. 'Ah, I know this! You're, uh, you're… uh…"

"Yozora!" the pig filled in, remembering the commercial they had just watched moments ago.

"Huh?" the Keybearer frowned, confused. "Oh, uh, no, my name's Sora. Though I guess that _does _sort of sound close to Yozora… Who is that, by the way?"

Before either the pig or the dinosaur had a chance to answer, the spaceman cut in, or rather, his wrist laser marker did as he pointed the red dot straight at Sora warningly. "Stay back!" he warned his friends, his tone serious as he took on a defensive stance. "For all we know, those intruders sent them."

"Uh, Buzz?" the cowboy interjected much more evenly. "I know you're just trying to be careful, but we _did _just watch them take those 'intruders' out after we've been trying to do that for days now."

"Yay! Yozora!" the dinosaur cheered, still clearly not understanding that the Keybearer and this 'Yozora' character weren't actually one and the same.

"You calm down too, Rex," the cowboy rationalized again as he took a step forward. "We don't know them."

"But we can trust them!" the dinosaur, or Rex, rather assured. "Like you said, Woody, they got rid of those scary blaster men! And not to mention, they're the number-one best-selling heroes in the country!"

"Yeah, Andy's mom must have bought 'em for him," the pig remarked casually.

"Hamm's right!" Rex said, shaking Sora's hand enthusiastically while not realizing just how bewildered he still clearly was. "And did you see how easily they took out those bad guys too? I bet they're here to help us figure out why all our friends have gone missing and why Buzz's laser actually started lasering and all of the other weird stuff that's been going on!"

The trio exchanged a brief glance upon hearing all this, unanimously lost in the shuffle and out of the loop the others all seemed to be a part of. Still, the inhabitants of this world seemed to be friendly enough, and by all accounts, it certainly sounded as though they needed help, a plight that Sora in particular knew he couldn't simply turn a blind eye to. Which was why, despite the sided glances Donald and Goofy were already sending his way, he returned them with a small nod with the instruction to stand by to hear and learn more.

"Let's not jump to conclusions…" the spaceman, Buzz, said, hands on his hips as he sent the trio a scrutinizing glance. "Especially since nothing around here has anywhere close to normal lately."

"Hm…" the cowboy mused, seemingly deep in thought, despite his friend's apparent distrust.

"Gotta be smart, Woody," Buzz whispered to him, and though Woody seemed to heed him, he still offered the new trio a small, welcoming smile instead.

"So… you're Andy's new toys?" he asked curiously.

"_Toys_?" Sora, Donald, and Goofy all asked in unison, more baffled than ever before at this.

"Ah boy, looks like we got _another_ case of 'new toy syndrome' on our hands here," Hamm whispered to Rex, aside. "This oughta be interesting."

"You sure did a number on those intruders," Woody continued. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you three have done this before."

"You can say that again!" Goofy quipped with a chuckle. "Those are the Heartless."

"And you weren't wrong when you said they're the bad guys!" Donald added intently.

"We've been fighting those 'intruders' for a while," Sora informed. "But, um… we're _actually_ here to look for a… oh, how am I supposed to put this…? A… a key."

"A key?" Woody raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, its… well, I don't actually know what it _really _looks like," Sora said, wishing that Master Yen Sid had been a bit more descriptive when detailing the thirteen Keys. "But I'm guessing it'll be sort of like this?" He summoned the Kingdom Key to demonstrate, making sure that the small, dark crack running across its surface was turned away from sight. The group all looked over it with varying levels of both amazement and suspicion (at least on Buzz's end), before Woody shook his head.

"Well, keys aren't _usually _that hard to find if you know where to look for them, but I can't say I've ever really seen one like _that _anywhere before." The sheriff paused, making note of the trio's shared sigh of disappointment before making a move to reassure them. "But… if you fellas meant what you said about fighting those intruders, then you're all right by me. The name's Woody," he extended a hand out for Sora. "Put 'er there."

"Now hold on-" Buzz protested shortly.

"I'm Sora-" the Keybearer began, returning the handshake before it was succinctly interupted by Rex.

"Yozora!"

"Uh, actually," Sora corrected once more as Hamm led Rex aside to calm his frenzy down. "My name is _Sora_."

"And I'm Donald," the magician spoke up.

"I'm Goofy!" the captain finished with a friendly grin.

Despite his wariness, Buzz ultimately caved under an urging elbowing from Woody to introduce himself in turn. "And I'm… Buzz Lightyear."

"Call me Hamm," the piggy bank greeted. "It's a real honor."

"And I'm Rex!" the dinosaur waved brightly. "I'm your biggest fan! In fact, I've been playing your game for months now! I've already gotten you all the way up to level 47, but that Bahamut boss is really tough! Slinky and I can't figure out how to beat him! Oh, I wish Slinky and the others were here! They'd be so happy to meet you!"

"All troops at attention, sir!" The small squadron of tiny green soldiers made their presence known with this call, a call that Sora, Donald, and Goofy all respected by returning their swift salutes. At the same time, a skateboard toting three stout green aliens rolled by, nearly mowing the trio down entirely, though fortunately they leapt out of its path just in time.

"Strangers!" the Little Green Men greeted, curiously approaching Donald and Goofy in particular.

"From the outside!"

"Welcome!"

"They're all… toys?" Sora mused to himself as he watched this exchange. Briefly, he glanced over at Woody, Buzz, Hamm, and Rex, before looking back down at his own changed appearance as well as Donald and Goofy's. Appearances that, by all accounts, were made to help them fit in as toys themselves. "So _that's _why we look the way we do…"

"Excuse me." The Keybearer's attention was soon diverted by Buzz, whose manner still seemed to be as guarded and stern as ever. "You said that you've battled those intruders before. Tell us where and why."

"Oh, w-well, uh… we… um…" Sora trailed off, unsure of how to properly explain everything. Briefly, he glanced over at Donald and Goofy for help, only for the magician to send him the usual sharp glare reminding him that whatever answer he gave, it had to ensure the world order was maintained. Something he was well aware of by now, but still had yet to master.

"Well?" Buzz pressed expectantly. "You must have come from _somewhere_. You even said that you came here looking for some sort of… key, was it? Why? What exactly is this 'key' you're after supposed to do?"

"Uh… t-that's… a _really _long story," Sora tried his best to rebuff, though he could tell the spaceman wasn't really buying it. "I'm sure you wouldn't wanna hear it-"

"Try me," Buzz crossed his arms coldly. Fortunately though, before Sora had to force himself to come up with some sort of explanation that wouldn't completely obliterate the world order, Woody happened to come to his rescue instead.

"Take it easy, Buzz," the sheriff cautioned evenly. "What matters is they got those intruders out of our way, at least for a little while. No need to interrogate them."

"Yeah, Buzz!" Rex chimed in.

"Woody's got a point," Hamm agreed.

"…Noted," Buzz hesitantly said. "But still…"

"Hey, have those 'intruders'—the Heartless—ever been a problem around here before?" Sora cut in, attempting to shift the subject a bit.

"No, they showed up just a little while ago," Woody shook his head.

"In fact," Buzz added. "Those 'Heartless' materialized right after all our friends vanished out of thin air!"

"You don't think…?" Donald said to Goofy upon hearing this, knowing that the Heartless were capable of far worse.

"Well, gee, it can't just be a coincidence," Goofy said as Sora nodded his agreement.

"It wasn't always this lonely around here…" Woody said. wistfully looking towards the sun filtering in through the room's high window. "One day, we woke up, and we were the only toys left. Slinky… the Potato Heads… Jessie… Bullseye… B-Bo Peep…" The sheriff almost seemed to choke up a bit at this last name as his list of missing friends continued. "What's worse is that nobody's heard from Mom, Molly, or even Andy… All of them are just… gone."

"I know what that's like…' Sora noted empathetically, remembering well just how lost he had felt the first time he had been separated from Riku and Kairi.

Woody sighed sadly as he sat down on a nearby block to glance at the time-weathered name inscribed on the bottom of his boot. "We keep waiting for Andy to come home. But… maybe just sitting around waiting isn't good enough anymore…"

"You really care about him, huh?" Sora asked gently.

Woody nodded, standing as he rejoined his fellow toys. "He's the best kid that toys like us could ever hope to have."

Only a beat of silence passed before the solemn cloud hovering over the room was all but entirely lifted thanks to Sora. "All right, then we'd better start looking!" he exclaimed with a bright, encouraging smile.

"Huh?" Woody blinked, aptly confused.

"Sora!" Donald scolded almost instantly. "What about the Key?!"

"Don't worry, we'll find it," Sora assured as he hung his hands behind his head.

"Gawrsh, you seem pretty confident about that," Goofy chuckled, amused.

"I am," the Keybearer turned to his companions, briefly lowering his voice down to a whisper. "I don't know how to explain it, but it just… feels like we're in the right place to find one of those Keys."

"_Feels _like it?" Donald crossed his arms, unconvinced. "What makes you so sure?"

"Like I said, I don't know how to explain it," Sora shrugged. "But still, it's gotta be worth our time to at least take a good look around, right? And hey, why not help these guys find their friends while we're at it?"

"Same ol' Sora," Goofy smirked over at Donald as the Keybearer turned back to Woody and the others. "Always lookin' for ways to help other folks out."

"More like he's always looking for ways to meddle," the magician huffed, though even so, he couldn't be entirely frustrated with their young companion. After all, even despite his tendency to frequently derail their important missions, Sora's continual resolve to lend a helping hand to anyone who needed it was a trait that both Donald and Goofy could solidly say they deeply admired about him and always had.

"So have you got any clues we can go off of?" Sora asked Woody intently. "Like any other strange things that have been happening lately?"

"Well… hm…" the sheriff paused a moment to think. "There was _one _thing…"

"One _big _thing," Hamm added.

"Huge, sir," Sarge agreed.

"What? What thing?" Rex asked, confused.

"After everyone went MIA, the intruders didn't come alone," Buzz explained. "They arrived with a man wearing a hood, dressed in all black like you. As a matter of fact… he's the only other toy we've seen, outside of you three."

"A black hood?" Sora asked, worry and dread practically flooding him the moment he heard this. Especially when he even so much as momentarily recalled his still very recent, very horrific nightmare. "B-but that would mean…"

"The Organization!" Donald and Goofy filled in, aptly appalled to hear their foes had already infiltrated this world.

"You know who that is?" Woody asked.

"Y-yeah," Sora said, trying his best to remain calm amidst fledgling panic that, as far as he knew, had no real source. "They're bad news."

"Hmph, seems like you have a lot of enemies," Buzz mused, eyeing the trio suspiciously once more.

"Well… I guess you're not wrong about that…" Sora noted with a frown. "Still, we may have a hunch about what's causing all this weirdness. Would you mind if we handle this?"

"I'm sorry, but we're not gonna just leave this to you," Woody denied succinctly, but not rudely. "If that guy has something to do with our friends vanishing, then he's our problem too. Which means we've got to work together." Once again, the sheriff extended a hand out to the Keybearer, though this time with the offering of a partnership rather than an introduction. A partnership that, given just how this matter clearly was to Woody and the others, Sora was hard pressed to turn down.

"Right!" he readily agreed as they shook hands to seal the deal. "So then, where can we find this guy?"

"Sarge," Woody turned to the leader of the toy soldiers at this. "Any word from the recon team?"

"The latest report places him in town, sir," Sarge reported. "At Galaxy Toys!" He pointed towards a colorful page displayed on the cork board high on the wall, one that was clearly advertising some sort of toy store from the looks of it.

"Then Galaxy Toys is where we're headed," Woody confirmed, fully resolved to finally get to the bottom of things once and for all. "Sora, follow me. It's out the window and down the roof."

"Not so fast, cowboy," Buzz interjected, an edge of clear disapproval in his tone. "You seem all gung-ho about going, but shouldn't we stay here and wait for Andy in case he comes back?"

"Well, you've got a point, but…" Woody trailed off with a thoughtful frown. "We've _tried _waiting, and its just not getting us anywhere. But if we go with Sora and his friends, then we may just find a clue that could help us find not just Andy, but everyone else too. So… are you with me, Buzz?"

The spaceman couldn't help but crack a small smirk at this, his stoicism instantly fading away the moment he met the sheriff's hopeful grin. While he didn't necessarily trust these odd new toys, he still trusted Woody. After all the two of them had been through together, that was something he didn't even have to think twice about. "Of course," Buzz said before turning to the others with the same sense of resolve Woody shared. "Ok, let's move out!"

With no reason to linger any longer, that's exactly what the collective group did. Clearly, the trip outside the window had been one Woody, Buzz, and their friends had made at least a few times before, given how confident they were in scaling up to the windowsill before adventuring out onto the open roof. An endeavor that Sora, Donald, and Goofy were much more apprehensive about by comparison.

"Hey, what's the matter with you three?" Hamm asked, noting the trio's hesitance in joining the others at the roof's edge. "Haven't you ever jumped off a roof before?"

"Well, yeah," Sora shrugged offhandedly, knowing that such feats were normal fare for himself, Donald, and Goofy. "But never while being this small before…"

"What do you mean by that?" Buzz asked, sending a suspicious glance back at the trio.

"Oh! Right! Uh…" Sora looked to Donald and Goofy for help, though all he really got was an annoyed scowl from the magician over his lack of tact. As well as an unspoken urging to cover for his misstep, which the Keybearer did in the best way he knew how. "N-nothing!" Sora quipped with a rather forced grin. Fortunately, before Buzz in particular could press the matter any further, Woody once again cut in.

"Eh, you guys have nothing to worry about," the sheriff said with a wave of his hand. "Just follow our lead and aim for the bushes." With a wry wink, Woody was the first to take the leap off the roof, Buzz, Hamm, and Rex following soon after in turn. Even the Little Green Men and the green soldiers took the plunge without any signs of fear or trepidation, leaving only Sora, Donald, and Goofy behind. Though not for long.

"Well, you heard him," Sora sent his companions a daring grin as he took both of their hands and raced forward. "Aim for the bushes!"

"S-Sora, wait!" Donald shouted in alarm, trying to stop the Keybearer's reckless momentum, though to no avail. At the same exact time, the trio leapt clean off the edge of the roof, Sora laughing in exhilaration all the while Goofy soon joined him, even though Donald squawked in blind terror all the while. Sure enough, they landed softly and safely in the lush bushes lining the side of the house, tangling up in vines and twigs but not sustaining any sort of damage whatsoever. Still, the levity was short lived, for as soon as the trio emerged from the shrubbery, they quickly found their new companions were under attack by the very same Heartless they had ousted back up in the room.

"Ah! The blaster guys are back!" Rex cried fearfully, cowering behind Hamm to avoid the Heartless' barrage of lasers.

"Stay back!" Sora warned, his Keyblade flashing into his hands as Donald and Goofy took up stance beside him. "We can take care of them."

"So can we," Woody stepped forward, grabbing ahold of his own pull-string. "Buzz! Look alive!"

The space ranger did just that, aiming his wrist laser at the marauding Heartless. At the same time, Woody swing his string out, using it as something of a lasso, catching the group of creatures, pulling them all together, and restraining them. Then, before they could even try to break out of the string's surprisingly steady hold, Buzz opened fire, his laser blasting through the frenzied Heartless and cleaning them out in one fell swoop, much to the trio's shared awe.

"Whoa!" Sora exclaimed as soon as the Heartless were fully cleared out. "Are you guys sure _you've _never fought any Heartless before? Because that was amazing!"

"Eh, that was just one of the many moves Buzz and I picked up during playtime," Woody smirked, leaning an elbow on the space ranger's shoulder. "Andy's a pretty creative kid, especially when it comes to coming up with battle scenes."

"And it's a good thing too," Buzz noted with an air of seriousness in his tone as he glanced past the house down the street. "Since it seems like there's plenty more of those creatures to put those 'moves' into practice on."

Sure enough, the entire neighborhood was infested with Heartless, both big and small but all fittingly toy-like. Much like Andy's room, the rest of the street seemed to be completely abandoned, but even so, the creatures still served as an obstacle standing between the group and their destination. An obstacle that they all readily agreed they would need to work together to overcome.

With Sora, Donald, and Goofy and Woody and Buzz leading the charge, they entered the fray, brazenly facing off against the sizable swath of Heartless ahead of them. By working together and off of each others' strengths, they were able to steadily outnumber and outmatch the creatures, cutting a swath through their ranks while they worked their way down the suburban street. With the Heartless showing up as constantly as they were, there wasn't much time for conversing in between skirmishes, but all the same, there was hardly a better time for collective group of toys to form a solid rapport with each other than through the heat of battle itself. While not very combatant themselves, Hamm and Rex were duly amazed by the trio's shared skill with their weapons (even though Rex in particular was still convinced that Sora was Yozora). Despite his lack of a traditional weapon, Woody was quite handy in a fight with his pull-string and quick wit, and it was clear that he was more than happy to work alongside the trio, especially for the sake of finally finding Andy and the others. Even the toy soldiers and the Little Green Men were respectively devoutly and zealously following along on the long journey across town towards Galaxy Toys. In fact, the only toy among the group that still seemed to have obvious misgivings towards the trio was Buzz. Regardless of the trio's best efforts to strike a chord with the space ranger, he all but coldly resisted their attempts, opting to keep them at a distance and watching them warily all the while. "Just in case," they had overheard Buzz tell Woody, discreetly.

Newfound friends and slight distrust aside, the group's lengthy trek was met with relatively little resistance outside of the Heartless. Oddly enough, the rest of this world seemed to be completely devoid of other toys and people alike, something that, at least according to Woody and Buzz, was a worrying anomaly to say the least. Still, despite this disconcerting fact, if anything, it did allow the group's arrival to Galaxy Toys to be much more timely. And once they did arrive, suffice to say, they were all collectively awestruck by what they found.

Galaxy Toys was massive, to say the least. A behemoth of a building, that almost seemed like a colorful, towering city rising high above it equally sizable parking lot. And as impressive as it was on the outside, the store's interior was somehow even more awe-inspiriting. The structure was made up of three lofty floors, each of which was heavily and diversely themed based on whichever toys were sold in each of its many sections. The store's immense scale would have been daunting for just about anyone of most any size, but for the tiny group of toys entering through its sliding glass doors, it was as though they were voyaging inside an entirely new world altogether.

The centerpiece of the store's main floor was what seemed to be a massive claw machine (though perhaps it only came across as so large since they were all so small), and interspersed all around it were equally large toy robots outfitted in different colors and weaponry. However, as he looked up at one of the towering mechs, Sora couldn't help but wonder exactly how this strange world—where toys seemed to take on lives of their own—really worked.

"Hey," he spoke up to catch Woody's attention in particular. "Why doesn't _that _toy move?"

"I guess it hasn't figured it out yet," the sheriff mused, tipping his hat up a bit.

"Figured out what?" Sora asked, though before Woody could offer an answer, an entirely different voice chimed in to do so instead.

"I can make it move for you."

The entire group's attention immediately snapped to the top of the claw machine high above them, where, out of a sinister dark portal, a figure in a telltale black cloak emerged. However, it was who revealed themselves from under the coat that caused Sora to freeze up in an unspeakable kind of immediate fear.

"_You cannot escape your fate, regardless of how you might aspire to try," _Young Xehanort had said during his nightmare, and it was a reminder the younger master in the cold, almost knowing grin he sent down to the Keybearer from his conspicuous perch above him now. A grin that brought all of the memories of that horrific nightmare he had desperately been trying to forget rushing right back.

"Y-you…" Sora choked, his now-plastic hands clenched into tight fists at his sides. His tight, rather anxious tone elicited a shared concerned glance from Donald and Goofy, both of whom knew it was quite unlike their young companion to seize up in obvious terror in front of an enemy like this. Even if that enemy was the younger version of their greatest foe.

"I'm so _honored _you remember me," Young Xehanort remarked with a certain sort of calm confidence. With a simple snap of his fingers, a bout of Heartless materialized out of thin air, dropping down from the claw machine and clamoring into several of the statuesque robot toys on display. As soon as the creatures made contact with the bots, they slipped into their open cockpits, easily taking control of the mechs and all of the power and weaponry they had to offer from within.

"W-well, I guess they _can _move after all," Woody said, aptly startled as the array of bots jumped down from their shelves to hone in on the group on the floor.

"Way cool!" Hamm exclaimed, ironically impressed by the dangerous machinery. That is, until one of the mechs nearly brought its heavy clawed arm down upon him. Fortunately, Donald and Goofy had the wits about them to rush in to block the robot's attack with their respective weapons while Woody leapt forward to shove the piggy bank out of harm's way. And yet, while Sora would have normally joined in on such a hasty rescue, the most he could really do was stare up at the treacherous younger master, terrified of the prospect that had happened in that agonizing could somehow repeat itself here and now.

"And so one heart's shadows fill the emptiness of another," Young Xehanort said, hardly heeding the fledgling chaos down below. "Which leaves the obvious question: can the same result be reached within a heart that has yet to be emptied?"

"_A heart such as yours_," Sora could practically hear the younger master add, especially as his threatening golden gaze seemed to pierce clean through him. Even so, the clearly direct taunt was finally enough to finally push the Keybearer out of his fearful revere as he reminded himself that he couldn't back down against their foes, especially not early on into their quest.

"E-enough!" he shouted as brazenly as he could, his Keyblade appearing in his tight grip. "Why are you doing this?"

"As you well know, there's a darkness we are missing and must reclaim," Young Xehanort explained, still keeping his sights set solely on Sora. "And fortunately we don't have to look very far; after all, you're already here."

Though Sora jolted somewhat at this, he refused to let himself lose his nerve as he shot back a stern and snappy response. "Well, sorry to disappoint you, but you're going to have to look somewhere else!"

"Maybe not," Young Xehanort mused. "For if not a vessel, then certainly, this is the kind of world where a special kind of Key could be found, wouldn't you agree?"

Sora, Donald, and Goofy all let out a collective gasp at this, the ongoing suspicion confirmed that they weren't alone in their hunt for the Keys to the Kingdom. The Organization was indeed actively tracking them down as well, which meant that the pressure was on more than ever before for the trio to find them first. Or else.

"In that sense, our respective purposes here are very much the same," the young master continued. "But unlike you, we've developed a much more… efficient way to search for them. If the Keys are indeed tied to the hearts in a world, then what better way to uncover them then by manipulating those hearts to our advantage?"

By now, Donald and Goofy had succeeded in pressing the first Heartless-controlled robot to attack back, but several more were still pressing in on the group, essentially forcing them to all crowd in close together. "Ugh, can you just get to the point already?!" Sora shouted, more than annoyed by the young master's monologuing by this point.

"The 'point'," Young Xehanort began knowingly. "Is that the way hearts connect in this world can provide us with a clue that could lead to not just one Key, but all the rest. So we made a copy of the world and then pulled those hearts apart. I wonder how you'll handle the strain…"

At that moment, the young master easily summoned a dark corridor, more than ready to take his leave without even jumping into combat himself whatsoever. "Wait!" Sora called after him aggressively. "What does that mean?!"

Young Xehanort didn't offer much of an answer at all, instead only briefly turning back towards the group on the ground and offering the Keybearer in particular one final ominous smile. "Don't let me down, _number thirteen_…"

As soon as the young master departed, one of the robots, still being piloted by the Heartless, lashed out, swinging wide at the group of largely unprepared toys in front of it. Sora, Donald, and Goofy were all swept up in the attack, sending them all flying back right into Woody and Buzz as they rushed in to spot them. Hamm, Rex, and the other smaller toys were all quick to take cover from the bots as everyone else regathered their bearings, all while the mechs actively began their hectic assault.

"Woody! What's going on?" Buzz shouted above the din of rumbling metallic footsteps and charging blaster guns. "Are these toys friends or foes?"

"I think we've already got our answer," Woody replied as he picked himself up off the ground before offering a hand to help Sora up as well.

Sure enough, one of the controlled robots was quick to show its malicious intent by firing off a barrage of laser blasts, forcing the group to split up just in a narrow attempt at evading it. While several of the bots still patrolled the outskirts of the main floor, the main threat was clearly the first mech near the claw machine as it actively began seeking out its opponents, who had all wisely tucked away out of its range behind adjacent shelves.

"Sora! You're up!" Donald called from across the aisle.

"Up for what?" Sora asked incredulously. "Those things are _huge_ next to all of us, how am I supposed to take any of them down?"

"Well, gee, what about usin' one of those other robots?" Goofy purposed, nodding up to an empty bot sitting still and open on a display close by. "If the Heartless know how to work 'em, then there's no reason you can't."

"Oh yeah!" Sora instantly perked up, instantly on board with the idea. After all, why not fight fire—or in this case, giant robots—_with _giant robots? "I'm on it!" The Keybearer rushed out of his hiding spot, swiftly dodging blasts and bombings along the way as he leapt up into the solitary bot's open cockpit. While he wasn't particularly well-versed in most tech, the bot's controls seemed simple enough to get behind, which was exactly what Sora did as he pushed it forward off the shelf. The mech was admittedly a bit clumsy in his first few moments controlling it, but after a bit of steadying, he was more than ready to leap into the fray. With firepower to match the Heartless' machines, he was easily able to not only outmaneuver them, but outdo them entirely by blasting shots off at a much faster, more accurate pace than the reckless creatures could. Boldened by this new advantage, the others were quick to follow the Keybearer and his mech into battle to oust the Heartless left behind whenever they were booted out of their damaged bots. Overall, it was a solid strategy, one that, sure enough, that secured a surprisingly solid victory out of what would have otherwise been an arduous, deadly confrontation.

As soon as the final Heartless was defeated, Sora emerged from the mech's cockpit, only to find that at least a few of the toys were still largely in a state of confusion over the unexpected battle they had just fought. "So… those toys really were being controlled?" Buzz mused mostly to himself as he looked to one of the bots' now empty seats. "They weren't just switched into battle mode on accident…?"

"Buzz?" Sora inquired as he took a small step forward.

Even so, the space ranger was very quick to shake his almost unreadable worry away. "It's nothing."

"Wait, I'm confused," Woody spoke up with a pensive frown. "That guy in the black coat—did he say he made a copy of the real world? What's that mean?"

"Hm… I… don't really know," Sora said thoughtfully. "If I could guess… it _probably _means they split this world in two—with your friends in one world, and you in the other. Only one of the worlds is real, and the other is just really convincing."

"You _can't _be serious," Buzz scoffed almost as soon as he heard the Keybearer's theory. "Oh! That's right. You're from a video game. Well, maybe in _your _game, that's how things work… but here in _reality_, you can't 'split worlds'. It's just plain ridiculous!"

"B-but it makes sense—ok, well, I guess it _doesn't _really make a whole lot of sense…" Sora admitted with a stiff shrug. "But still, even if we don't know how they did it, we _do _know why. The Organization is after the same Key that we're here looking for, and we need to stop them before they-"

"And that's another thing," the space ranger interupted, still quite sullen. "If that man in the black hood really wants that 'Key' you keep going on about, then he likely sent those intruders here to track it down. Which raises the question, that if both you and someone like him is going to such great lengths to look for it, then what exactly is this Key _really_? Hm?"

"Buzz, come on," Woody came in to quell his friend's continued suspicion, much to Sora's relief. After all, he still largely had no idea how to explain the concept of the Keys himself, much less in a way that would keep the world order intact. "I admit, all of this stuff about copies of worlds and magical keys _does_ sound just a little far-fetched. But… say we _have _been taken to some kind of alternate world. That would explain why your laser is real all of the sudden, and why all of the others just disappeared like they did. And is it really _that _crazy? Worse than 'evil emperors' and 'protecting the galaxy'." The sheriff offered the space ranger a knowing smile. "Any of that ring a bell?"

"P-point taken," Buzz coughed, apparently flustered as he lowered his voice somewhat. "But that just means these strangers are part of the delusion. And I say its time we parted ways and went home."

Despite the space ranger's attempt at remaining discreet, his remarks were indeed heard by the trio, a mutual sense of disappointment filling them as his less-than-favorable words sunk in. "Gawrsh, thought we were friends, not strangers…" Goofy said with a small, sad frown as Donald nodded his dejected agreement. Sora, however, wasn't quite done with trying to set the pair of toys at ease just yet.

"Look, I get that its weird," he began intently. "But we _know _something's wrong with this place. Which means we should stick together to try to fix it."

"Sora's right," Woody agreed, turning back to Buzz. "They helped with the intruders, so they might be able to help us find our friends too. They _have _been there for us this far; you can't deny that. Every toy deserves a fair shake, Buzz, you should know that better than anyone else."

"Then tell _that_ to that toy over there," the space ranger immediately retorted, pointing to one of the nearby empty, unmoving bots. "Or does _he _not get that 'fair shake' just because he's not 'like us'."

Woody didn't really have an answer for this, and neither did anyone else for that matter. After all, the line between which toys did and didn't have autonomy and consciousness of their own seemed to waver drastically, to the point that it hardly even seemed consistent at all. And it was clear that line was something Buzz was taking into deep consideration, largely since, by all accounts, it turned everything he _thought _he knew about being a toy completely on its head. Not that he'd admit those troubling thoughts to the others, but even so, they were indeed quite troubling all the same.

"Sheriff, sir!" The conversation was succinctly interupted by Sarge, who had perched himself high on a nearby shelf display. "Rex has just been dino-napped!"

"What?!" Woody asked in apt alarm as the others all crowded in to hear the report.

"My men saw him get hauled up to the second floor, sir!" Sarge pointed up to the distant platform. "And Hamm and the aliens are MIA!"

"Aw, great, just what we need, even _more _toys going missing…" Woody remarked with an exasperated sigh. "Well, all the same, we might as well start looking."

"Then let us help," Sora urged sincerely. "We can find them faster if we all work together!"

"Yeah!" the sheriff readily grinned, though his smile quickly faltered as he glanced back at space ranger again, noting his bitter, closed-off manner. "Well, Buzz?" Woody asked, hopeful. "Do you really think we can save our friends on our own? We didn't get very far before. We gotta take all the help we can get."

Once more, Buzz hesitated, though before he could offer a reply, Goofy suddenly chimed in with another argument altogether. "Don't worry!" the captain warmly assured. "Sora can be reckless, and Donald grumbles a lot. But you can trust 'em!"

As lightly offended as both the Keybearer and the magician were by this remark, the latter wasn't afraid to show it. "Hey!" Donald fussed. "He suspects _you _too!"

"Its true," Sora added, hands on his hips.

"Huh? He does?" Goofy asked, innocently.

"See?" Woody chuckled. "They don't seem bad at all. Am I right, Buzz?"

Even the space ranger was unable to crack a small, amused smile at this exchange. "Ok, fine. We _do _need the extra help. But just so we're clear; I remain skeptical about this." Buzz stopped short in front of the trio, looking over each of them with his usual amount of hardened scrutiny. "I'll work with you, but _only _until we find our friends."

"Ohh…. Kay…" Woody noted, watching as Buzz swiftly pressed on ahead. "Anyway… Sora, Donald, Goofy, thanks for the help. And… don't worry about Buzz. I'm sure he'll come around to you guys… eventually."

"Sir!" Sarge chimed in from his upper perch. "My troops will return to the field!"

Woody briefly returned the squadron's collectively salute as they headed out on their own mission before he and the others reconvened with Buzz to carry out theirs. "This ascent is gonna be rather tricky…" the space ranger noted, ejecting his wings as he looked over the only apparent way up to the second floor: through the claw machine itself.

"Too bad we're not strapped to a rocket, huh?" Woody smirked, lightly leaning against one of Buzz's wings.

"I admit, in this one particular instance, that… would actually be ideal," the space ranger noted as he retracted his wings.

"Hey, think we could use that?" Sora suggested, pointing up towards the twisting array of curving, curling railways spiraling out of the claw machine. Clearly, they were meant too add onto the store's fantastical design, though since the did seem to reach all the way up to the building's open upper floors, they could just as easily be used for a method of transportation as well.

"It's perfect," Woody grinned brazenly, already leading the way. "C'mon, fellas! We have some lost friends to find."

The others were all quick to follow in step behind the sheriff, making their way towards the bottommost entrance of the otherwise empty claw machine, which could hopefully take them up towards the railways. However, as he was just shy of stepping into the threshold of the machine, Sora stopped short, a certain unmistakable chill sweeping through him. Ever since they had first arrived in this world and had subsequently taken on their toy-like forms, neither Sora, Donald, nor Goofy alike had been able to feel much in the way of physical sensations given their now-plastic bodies. But even so, the Keybearer was unable to deny the slightest bit of familiar pain now gnawing away at his chest—or rather, at his heart.

"So… there really _is _still something within that hallow guise you've taken on after all…"

In an instant, the Kingdom Key was in Sora's hands as he sharply spun around, only to come face-to-face with Young Xehanort himself. The young master stood on ground level now, still wearing his usual level grin as he didn't even flinch at the weapon being pointed directly at him.

"How amusing," he said, almost chuckling. "You aim that Keyblade at me as if we still stood on opposing sides."

"Funny, last time I checked, we _do_," Sora retorted, his stern stance not breaking.

"Hm," Young Xehanort shook his head, seemingly disappointed. "Even after all of the messages we've been sending you, you _still _choose to doubt the truth. Perhaps you need yet _another _reminder of exactly what awaits you…"

At this, the young master reached out to, lightly skimming the edge of the Kingdom Key with his gloved fingertips. Sora lurched back at this, a highly concentrated spark of blinding pain rushing through him as he drew his Keyblade back in, only to notice a dark flash etching itself across its shining surface. He gasped, watching in horrified alarm as the small starting crack that had developed on the weapon expanded, growing deeper and darker as it curved itself around the blade. Before, the marring mark could have been easily missed, but now, there was no hiding it; this rift, seemingly carved by darkness itself, was as plain to see as the Keyblade itself was.

"W-what…" Sora trailed off, equally mystified and alarmed as he traced a finger over the mark. "What did you just do?!"

"As I told you before, I've hardly done a single thing," Young Xehanort explained calmly. "All we aim to do is to unlock the darkness that was already there, buried deep within your very own heart. And you see, untapped darkness as vibrant as yours is a quality that the Organization can certainly make good use of."

Sora was more than prepared to send a harsh rebuff back to such audacious claims, he instead reeled back, deciding to take a different, more subtle approach instead. After all, the more he could glean about their foes' treacherous, mysterious plans, the better. "So that's why you guys keep coming after me, huh?" he asked with a light air of challenge in his tone. "Because of this whole 'darkness' thing you keep saying I have in me, which, by the way, I _don't_."

"You _do_," Young Xehanort countered. "But that's hardly the only reason we chose you, Sora. You heart is… unique in it can contain so much within it, but only at so much of a high cost to yourself. In that sense, you're much like the simple toys you've allied yourself with in this world, so heavily dependent on the hearts and feelings of others to keep yourself alive. Though if those hearts were to leave you behind, then I wonder… what would you possibly have to sustain yourself then… if not darkness?"

"Hearts…" Sora repeated softly, still largely lost until he remembered his nightmare. Or rather, the salvation that had come for him at the end of it. "Wait… a-are you talking about… Roxas?"

"Roxas and a few others…" the young master nodded vaguely. "Either way, the obstacle each of them poses will soon no longer be a standing concern. Especially since you _are _actively looking for a way to reach all of the many hearts tied to yours, aren't you, Sora?"

Sora flinched at this, not wanting to admit what his enemy already knew to be true. Yet again, he found himself both amazed and angered by the fact that the Organization always seemed to know his mission far better than he knew theirs. A frustrating constant that seemed to show no signs of stopping anytime soon. "Either way, I encourage you to enjoy your 'playtime' in this world," Young Xehanort continued, turning to take his leave. "And if you do happen to find that Key, I'd greatly appreciate it if you held onto it. For the Organization you'll all too soon be a part of, whether you want to be or not."

As soon as the young master called forth a dark corridor, the Keybearer raced forward in yet another attempt to thwart his easy getaway. "Stop!" he shouted, drawing his damaged Keyblade back for a wide swing. However, right before he could send his attack forward, Young Xehanort snapped his glance back at him, inexplicably stopping Sora dead in his tracks, despite just about every fiber of his being wanting to lash out. As forced into silence and stillness as he suddenly was, the last thing he noticed was the briefest hint of unwelcome yellow flash through his otherwise bright blue eyes. A sight that was more than enough to break the young master's severe gaze into a cold, almost cocky grin as he stepped through his darkened portal.

"In fact… I'd say you're already coming along quite nicely…" he said to himself more than the Keybearer as he disappeared into the void.

The moment he was finally left alone, Sora at last released the breath he didn't even realize he had been holding in, realizing that control over his movements were his own once again. Still, despite the countless thoughts and worries running through his head in the aftermath of that daunting encounter, he hardly had time to think on any of them as his attention was all to quickly garnished elsewhere instead.

"Sora!" Goofy called from the claw machine's entryway, Donald hanging close beside him. "Are ya comin'?"

Sora only spared his companions a small glance before he turned back to where Young Xehanort had just been, only to find an expectantly empty space instead. Considering everything that had happened over the past several days alone, the Keybearer had thought he would have been used to the various members of the Organization trying to scare him through the constant claims that he was doomed to become one of their vessels. But even so, the prospect, however outlandish as it might have seemed, was still something that undeniably scared him every time he was forced to confront it. Having to deal with the frightening possibility in the realms of dreams and nightmares was one thing; but being faced with it in the waking world was another thing altogether.

"Y-yeah," he finally answered back, turning to follow the pair so they could catch up with Woody and Buzz. Even so, he hesitated briefly as soon as Donald and Goofy pressed on ahead, taking the opportunity to call his Keyblade into his grasp yet again. The darkened crack splintering its silver surface was almost _painful _to look at, especially considering the close attachment he had formed to the weapon over the years. The Kingdom Key had gotten him through countless decisive battles, had opened the door to so many new worlds and adventures and friends. Which was why the thought that it had been damaged, that it had been _tainted _by something he had no idea how to fix or undo practically made Sora sick. And yet, even worse than the sinister mark itself was what it stood for; the chance, however small, that _he _could just as well be tainted in the very same way, by the inescapable reach of pure darkness itself.

As horrific of a thought as it was, Sora knew he had no time to waste worrying over it now, not when their new friends needed help and they still had a Key to find. Still, as he put his Keyblade away and continued on ahead, he couldn't help but hold onto the hope that, regardless of what any member of the Organization tried to convince him of, he'd be able to overcome whatever traps and deceptions they'd try to throw his way.

A hope that would, by all accounts, fall to pieces far sooner than he could have ever imagined.

* * *

**So yeah, sort of a mixed bag of a chapter. Even so I did have fun working on it. I already like writing for the Toy Story characters, they're a really fun crew ^_^ Though like I said, next time around is where we're really gonna diverge off the path the game takes with this world and it'll be... interesting to say the least. Either way, I'd like to know what you thought of this chapter in the REVIEWS! Until next time!**


	13. Chapter 12: To Infinity and Beyond

_Ooooooo boy its been... quite a while since I've updated this huh? Totally my bad! A lot of... life stuff (and UF stuff) got in the way but now I'm back and with a chapter that I think its a lot better than the last one actually. There's a lot of fun original stuff thrown in here, so I hope ya'll enjoy it! And with that outta the way, let's get started!_

* * *

_Chapter 12: To Infinity and Beyond_

_Some other folks might be  
A little bit smarter than I am,  
Bigger and stronger too  
Maybe  
But none of them will ever love you  
The way I do,  
It's me and you, boy_

Considering just how small the intrepid group of toys was, combing through a building as massive and complex as Galaxy Toys for a pair of equally small toys was quite a daunting task indeed. But at the very least, the store was well-organized in its layout, which made navigating its multiple floors and sections somewhat easier. And soon enough, the group happened to wander into one of the store's larger departments, specifically meant to house action figures of all sizes and brands. Upon a first glance, the area seemed just as calm and quiet as the rest of the store, that is, until Woody happened to spot the first sign of danger out of the corner of his eye.

Upon noticing the very brief slip of a bright red tail go behind an adjacent shelf, the cowboy was on the move, prompting curious glances from Buzz, Sora, Donald, and Goofy alike. However, just as they followed after his lead, it seemed as though whatever Woody had spotted mysteriously disappeared altogether, much to his confusion.

"Huh… where'd he go?" the cowboy wondered aloud, glancing over the rest of the department.

"You sure you saw him?" Buzz asked.

"Yeah, he just-"

"Shh!" Sora suddenly interrupted the pair. "Do you guys hear something?"

The others all promptly piped down at this, poising to listen for anything abnormal, which they soon received in the form of a low shuffling sound coming from one of the nearby displays. "What's that?" Goofy asked, squinting to look up to the top of the high pile of boxes before them. There seemed to be some sort of flickering darkness gathering behind them, or rather, localized to the large, unknown shape that was slightly stirring behind them. A shape that violently lashed out quicker than any of them could have realized to reveal a massive, monstrous action figure, one that was clearly under the Heartless' sway if the emblem blazoned onto its plastic exterior was any indication.

"Another toy's being controlled!" Sora exclaimed, quickly calling upon his Keyblade as Donald and Goofy did the same with their own weapons. Likewise, Woody took on a steady defensive stance, though Buzz was much more hesitant as he initially looked to the rampaging action figure with clear apprehension at the thought of having to attack another admittedly innocent toy. And yet, upon seeing the others take up arms against it, the space ranger knew he didn't really have much of a choice but to do the very same himself.

Even so, Buzz did so begrudingly, something that Sora noticed as he watched the space ranger slowly lift his arm to aim his laser. "Buzz? You sure?" he asked, concerned.

Buzz nodded, firmly resolved. "If it wanted to play nice, then it should have stayed away from my friends."

The action figure interrupted with a fierce roar as it began to clamor forward, towering over every single one of the toys gathered before it. The puppeteered monster was truly intimidating to say the least, but the group was more than prepared to take the substantial threat it posed head on. Or at least they _would _have if somebody else didn't leap in from seemingly out of nowhere to do it for them.

Without warning, the monster reared back, almost as if something had struck its mechanized backside even though none of the other toys had launched so much as a single attack against it. However, the force behind this attack soon became clear as the momentous action figure continued to thrash about to reveal the much smaller toy standing tall and triumphant atop its back.

"Yeeee haw! Looks like this critter's gotten too big for his britches!"

"I-it can't be!" Buzz exclaimed, absolutely baffled.

"But it is!" Woody chimed in with a growing smile as both him and Buzz heralded the new arrival excitedly.

"Jessie!"

The new toy, Jessie, swiftly glanced down from her perch high upon the action figure's back. She shared very much of the same western aesthetic as Woody did, though her bright red yarn hair easily made her stand out. Somehow, she had managed to wrangle the monster down by stringing up the mechanical barbs on its back with a small yet sturdy rope, a restrain she was holding steady even as she looked down to the group on the ground with clear elation.

"Woody! Buzz!" she shouted brightly. "It's about time I found you two! Where in the great green prairie have you boys been?!"

"We could ask you the same thing!" Woody exclaimed incredulously. "How did you-"

"Oh! Hold that thought, sheriff!" Jessie interrupted sharply, glancing up towards the ceiling briefly. "Now, Rex!"

The others quickly realized exactly what she meant as they noticed Rex, fearfully clinging onto one of the several toy planes rotating from the ceiling. Perhaps by chance or perhaps thanks to the dinosaur himself, the plane suddenly detached from its clip, sending it plummeting fast towards the ground below. Jessie made sure to leap off of the action figure just before the plan crashed into it, hitting it hard enough to knock the Heartless that had overtaken it clean out. And in turn, Rex landed squarely on that dazed Heartless, equally as dazed himself.

"Ah! Did it work!?" he asked frantically, still pinning the Heartless down. "Did the plan work?"

The dinosaur didn't receive much of an answer as the Heartless roughly shook him off of it, though it didn't get much of a chance to retaliate before Sora rushed for it, Keyblade at the ready. It only took a single swing to defeat the creature entirely, bringing a much-needed air of peace back to the area as the now lifeless action figure collapsed to the ground with a heavy thud.

"Whoo!" Jessie cheered as she made a solid landing before reconvening with the others. "That almost got a bit dicey there. You boys sure were lucky I was here to rush to your rescue, huh?"

"I'll say," Buzz said, offering the cowgirl a warm, if not affectionate smile as he stepped up to her. "Jessie, it's grea—ahem, i-its… very relieving to see you safe and sound." The space ranger quickly took on a formal tone, though clearly, he wasn't fooling Jessie.

"Great to see you too, Buzz," she joked wryly, patting him on the cheek and easily flustering him even more.

"Uh, not that I'm not excited to see you too, Jessie," Woody interjected with a frown. "But… how'd you end up here in the first place?"

"Boy, wouldn't I like to know!" Jessie huffed, hands on her hips. "One minute I'm back in Andy's room with Slinky, the Potato Heads, and everyone else, looking for you fellas, and the next, I'm here, fighting off a whole bunch of those strange lil' shadowy critters. Then I bumped into Rex and we saw this one causing a ruckus," she nodded towards the downed action figure. "And, well, you know the rest."

"Hm… that certainly is… bizarre, to say the least…" Buzz mused, shaking his head.

"Looks like that whole 'world splitting' thing might not be too far off from the truth after all…" Woody theorized, though before he could press Jessie for anymore details, her attention was already diverted somewhere else instead.

"Golly! Well, aren't you three fancy?" the cowgirl grinned as she sized Sora, Donald, and Goofy up. "Have you fellas been helping my wayward sheriff and space ranger out around here?"

"Yeah, we have," Sora grinned cordially before introducing himself. "I'm Sora."

"I'm Donald!" the magician chimed in.

"And I'm Goofy!" the captain finished off.

"Much obliged to meet all three of ya," Jessie nodded. "I'm-"

"Jessie," Sora interrupted with a knowing laugh. "Believe me, we heard."

"Hey! Hey!" Rex suddenly broke through the conversation, eager to catch the trio's eye. "Were you watching? Did you see what I did? Were you impressed?"

"Yeah, yeah, good for you," Donald quickly assured somewhat flatly, trying to quell the dinosaur's excitement a bit.

"Listen, Rex," Woody said, largely attempting to do the same. "Hey! Earth to Rex? We need you to _focus_, please."

"Huh?" Rex turned curiously.

"Do you or Jessie know where the others were taken?" Sora asked, getting back to the pertinent matter at hand.

"Nah, the only ones I've seen since I got here is you fellas," Jessie frowned.

"Wait… what do you mean?" Rex asked, also quite concerned. "Did something happen?"

Upon hearing this, Buzz simply shook his head in disappointment. "Back to square one."

"Oh, great…" Woody sighed, equally exasperated until he spotted a familiar green army man heading their way. "Sarge! Have you got a status report?"

"Sir!" Sarge saluted dutifully. "One of my men just located Hamm forward of our position, in Babies and Toddlers. The corporeal was debriefing him, but something must have gone wrong. All radio contact has been lost."

"Anything more specific we can go on?" Buzz ventured as the others let out a shared disappointed sigh.

"Right before I lost contact," Sarge explained. "I received reports of a strange shadow moving around the doll section. No word on what it could be, though its safe to assume that its involved and dangerous."

"Gawrsh…" Goofy mused to Donald, concerned. "Do ya think it could be the Heartless?"

"What if its another big monster?" the magician countered, just as worried.

"Well, let's just find out," Sora purposed, seemingly undaunted.

"I agree," Woody nodded, already leading the group onward. "Looks like we can take a shortcut over there through the air vents."

"Yeah!" Jessie chimed in enthusiastically. "Besides, what's a little more danger when its up against a rough-and-tumble posse like us!?"

"Uh, a-actually," Rex hung back anxiously. "I think I'll head back and wait by the entrance. I-I'm sure those vents are gonna be much too narrow for my big dinosaur tail."

"Really?" Sora asked, taking a second glance up towards the vents. "I'm sure you'd fit."

The Keybearer's appeal, however, was all too quickly halted by Buzz. "Rex is right. Besides, we need a lookout at the entrance. It's an important mission," the space ranger turned to the dinosaur. "Can you do it?"

After a beat or two of nervous hesitation, Rex resolutely nodded. "Y-Yes, sir!"

The others shared a brief amused smile as Buzz offered Rex a grateful salute. And, with their respective destinations in mind, the group split off from the dinosaur as he began to make the trek back towards the store's entrance, while the others continued to push on ahead. With Jessie's addition to the group, there seemed to be a renewed sense of vigor overall, especially when it came to Woody and Buzz's end of things. The pair was certainly glad to see one of their missing friends, and even if the cowgirl's sudden appearance didn't really answer too many questions as to how they could find any of the others, it was still certainly better than nothing. And certainly, Jessie's own upbeat attitude lightened the mood even more as she established a steady friendly rapport with Sora, Donald, and Goofy alike. Even so, the ventilation shaft pathway that connected Action Figures to Babies and Toddlers was fraught with Heartless, not at all surprising given the danger the group had already had to face thus far. And, with the solid group of six they now consisted of, plowing through their ranks was decidedly easy and granting them swift access to the next section of the store they'd yet to explore.

"Well, here we are, Babies and Toddlers," Woody announced as they finally broke out of the vents. "Where do you guys think we should start?"

"Gosh, searching just about anywhere in here would take us _ages_!" Jessie remarked, surveying the scope of the section from their high vantage point atop one of the shelf cases. "This place is HUGE!"

"Sarge, didn't ya mention something about a shadow?" Goofy asked the commanding army man.

"Affirmative, Goofy," Sarge nodded with his usual salute.

"Hm… all right, then why don't we look out for any weird shadows moving on their own?" Sora suggested thoughtfully.

"That's good thinking for _you_," Donald remarked somewhat wryly.

"Wha—what do you mean, for _me_?!" Sora asked, easily offended by the casual dig. Of course, by now the magician had more or less burst into amused laughter as he hurried away from the Keybearer, who didn't hesitate to give chase in retaliation. "Hey! Get back here!"

As Sora and Donald continued to essentially chase each other in circles around a rather confused Goofy, their trio of toy companions watched on in apt amusement. Jessie in particular let out a loud whoop of a laugh, cheering along in the sidelines all the while. "Yeah! Get 'im, Sora!"

"Heh," Woody let out a much more subdued chuckle to Buzz in particular. "You know, I think they really are good guys."

"Well, you wouldn't have trusted them otherwise," the space ranger remarked with the smallest hint of a smile. "And I know that your trust is a hard-earned treasure." Of course, Woody was genuinely surprised to hear such a heartwarming sentiment from the usually stoic and stalwart Buzz Lightyear, of all toys. But even so, he readily accepted it with a warm smile, one that Buzz returned, albeit all too briefly. "Well, for all our sakes… let's just hope you're right, cowboy. I'm willing to give them a chance, at least for a little while longer. Especially if it means getting Andy and the rest of our friends back."

"Agreed," Woody nodded, his smile taking on a determined turn as he finally broke through the ongoing levity going on nearby. "Alright fellas—and Jessie—let's get a move on."

"You're the boss, sheriff," Jessie remarked with a playful salute. At the same time, Sora and Donald brought their brief, insincere bickering to an end, though not without exchanging a series of faux sour expressions first.

All the same, the group didn't waste anymore time in their search for Hamm, venturing out onto the floor of the Babies and Toddlers section. By all accounts, the area seemed oddly quiet, bereft of any randomly appearing Heartless, surprisingly enough. Yet the lack of enemies was hardly reassuring, giving them basically nothing to go off of other than their elusive search for any sort of abnormal shadow. A search that, as they were all quickly discovering as they combed through the countless shelves and displays, was much easier said than done.

"Well, we've looked just about everywhere," Woody began as the group reconvened near the front of the section. "And there's no strange shadows in sight."

"Hm… maybe it went somewhere else?" Sora theorized with a shrug. "Or maybe we-"

"Wait!" Jessie interrupted with a loud shush. "Anyone else hear that?"

The others instantly quieted down, listening for the surprisingly apparent thumping noise the cowgirl had picked up on first. It seemed almost like some sort of frantic pounding against an unknown surface, though it was clear that it was coming from somewhere nearby, a source that Donald was the first to spot.

"Look! Over there!" the magician pointed towards a large, colorful dollhouse on the far side of the section, one that was, oddly enough, rattling constantly. Deciding to air on the side of caution, the group approached it quietly, noticing that it was sealed up tight from the outside in for some strange reason. There was no question there was something inside, though the house's small windows didn't give any of them too much idea as to what. Which was why they made the unanimous choice to open the house up, despite the apparent risk. It took some doing and a good bit of teamwork, but eventually the collective group managed to pry the house wide open, even if the walls suddenly swinging open did send them all flying back into a haphazard pile. Still, as dazed as they were, they were all more than relieved to find exactly who had been trapped inside of the house.

"Talk about cabin fever!" Hamm huffed as he readily stepped outside. "Thanks for the save."

"You ok, Hamm?" Woody asked, concerned.

"Yeah, aside from being locked in, the accommodations were fine," the pig remarked, nodding back to the well-decorated home.

Curious, Donald stepped forward inside of it to get a better look. "Aw, what a tiny little house," he said with an impressed smile. It was very short lived, however, as the magician happened to catch sight of the large, looming figure peeking into the window right beside him.

The entire group went on high alert upon hearing Donald's panicked shout as he scrambled out of the doll house to rejoin them. "What's wrong?" Buzz asked, instantly tense.

"S-she's back!" Hamm exclaimed fearfully, spinning around to face the larger toy swiftly floating into view. "That's the doll that pig-penned me!"

Said doll was quite tall, suited up an elegant gown, tight blue curls, and alarmingly lifeless, golden eyes to match the obvious emblem on her bunny ear accessory. A clear sign that she was yet another toy overtaken by the Heartless' steady, unyielding, violent control.

"Hamm, take cover," Woody instructed sternly as the others all began poising themselves for the impending battle ahead.

"Uh, copy that!" Hamm exclaimed, not wasting any time in making himself scarce. "One stay in the dread-and-breakfast was enough for me!"

"Not _another _possessed toy…" Buzz fretfully mused to himself. Still, despite his internal protests to attacking the doll, once again, he didn't have much of a choice as she lunged forward towards the group in an aggressive spiral.

"Everyone! Look alive!" Sora cautioned as he brandished his Keyblade against this new threat. Donald and Goofy were quick to add their support with their own weapons, already casting spells and building up a steady line of protective defense as the doll continued to hectically float high above them. Her elevation made landing any sort of attacks on her rather tricky, as did the swarm of smaller Heartless that came out to accompany her. But as Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Buzz began whittling down these smaller grunts, Woody and Jessie discreetly teamed up for an attack to finally bring the doll down to their level.

"Ready?" Jessie asked, offering the sheriff a daring grin as she unwound her pullstring a bit.

"Ready," Woody returned, doing the same.

"Now!" they both shouted in unison, putting their plan into action. Both toys tossed their strings towards the lofty doll, narrowly catching her by both of her wrists. Woody and Jessie acted quickly, making their strings taunt to not only still the doll's chances of attack but also pull her down to a more manageable height.

"Now's our chance!" Sora exclaimed, already rushing for the downed doll with his Keyblade at the ready. "Let's go!"

"Yeah!" Donald and Goofy cheered, following their young companion's lead as they went in for a series of successful attacks. With each blow landed against her, the doll reeled back, making it quite an effort for Woody and Jessie to maintain their already slipping hold on her. Even so, despite Sora, Donald, and Goofy's shared strikes, the doll's Heartless-imbued stamina was more than enough to keep her going, even struggling against the restraints keeping her down.

"W-we won't be able to hold her down for too much longer!" Jessie cried, clearly struggling to maintain her grip on her own string.

"Buzz! Your laser!" Woody shouted over to the space ranger, who had just finished dispatching the last of the support Heartless. However, so far, Buzz had made practically no attempt to land a hit on the doll herself for some reason. "A good hit from your laser should be more than enough to stop her!"

Buzz didn't offer a response, instead looking between his pair of struggling friends and the possessed doll nervously. Even so, it initially seemed as though he was going to comply, taking aim towards the doll with his wrist laser and looking for a good opening amidst Sora, Donald, and Goofy continuing their assault against her. And yet, just before he could fire, he hesitated, unable to actually follow through for a number of reasons, all of which held him back from landing the decisive attack they all needed to stop this battle in its tracks.

"Buzz!" Woody practically pleaded under the strain. "Now!"

Surprisingly enough, the space ranger's laser did fire, though it didn't strike the doll itself. Instead, as startled and torn as he was, Buzz' aim went haywire, his blast hitting one of the display cases behind the doll instead. It created a small, yet impressive explosion among the heavy boxes stacked upon it, one that the doll reacted to violently. Instantly, she ripped herself hard out of Woody and Jessie's respective holds, prying out of their pullstrings and sending both of them flying in opposite directions. And yet, despite this retaliation, Sora was the first to notice that Buzz's apparent poor aim was actually quickly about to turn the tide in their favor.

"Look out!" the Keybearer shouted to both his companions and the space ranger just as a handful of boxes began to fall in their direction. The smaller toys were quick to easily steer clear of the heavy rain, but the much larger doll wasn't so lucky. A heavy dollhouse box in particular struck her hard, easily knocking her over entirely. And that wasn't all, for as soon as she hit the ground, whatever Heartless that had been controlling her seemed to disappear in defeat, leaving the toy that had once been under its sway just as still and lifeless as she had been before.

Coming down from the adrenaline of such a fast-paced brawl, most of the others simply exchanged terse nods with each other as they regrouped, ensuring none of them were harmed. However, the only one who didn't join in on the collective sigh of relief was, once again, Buzz, as he stopped to stare at the now-defeated doll apprehensively.

"Wait," the space ranger said before the others could begin to move on, finally deciding to make his lingering worry known to the others. "What if… what if we end up just like her? Forgetting ourselves and… attacking each other?"

"What are you talking about, Buzz?" Jessie asked with a concerned frown. "There's no way something like that would _ever _happen to any of us!"

"That's right!" Donald firmly agreed.

"You fellas are too strong!" Goofy chimed in. "Right, Sora?"

While normally, Sora would have readily, enthusiastically sided with his companions' optimistic sentiments, this time, he ended up hesitating instead. After all, he knew the Organization all too well; they had a particular, frightening talent for bending innocent hearts to their twisted intent, an outcome that, after everything that had already happened thus far, the Keybearer still somewhat feared for his own. And if someone like Young Xehanort could indeed cause his heart, a heart that he had believed to have grown strong through the many experiences and challenges it had been through in the past, to waver, then who was to say he couldn't do the very same to the less-fortified hearts of others?

Still, of course, Sora didn't voice any of those building concerns, instead opting to bolster the team with a smile that, despite how genuine it might have been, never truly did meet his eyes. "R-right," he said rather halfheartedly, though fortunately, none of the others seemed to notice.

"You can't be sure!" Buzz countered sternly, glaring at the trio in particular. "What if I get taken over, then attack you?!"

"Buzz, you're overthinking it!" Woody cut in, placing a steadying hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Overthinking it…" Sora mused to himself, his eyes widening with growing realization and hope. "Of course! The Heartless—the _darkness—_" He corrected himself as he addressed the others. "Can only creep in when our hearts falter. Trust me," he smiled, assuring both himself and the others. "You'll be fine if you don't lose heart."

"Well, that's good," Woody grinned, patting Buzz on the shoulder. "Because I know you, Buzz. You'll never lose heart when it comes to your friends."

"And no one would know that better than us," Jessie added, casually leaning against the space ranger.

"Hmph, true enough," Buzz nodded, reciprocating the pair's warm smiles. "Sorry to have worried you all."

"No problem," Woody nodded in understanding. "Now, let's go find the others."

With no further lingering worries holding any of them back, the group pressed on ahead with the next leg of their journey. And yet, what none of them knew as they departed, was that perhaps those worries weren't so unfounded after all.

* * *

The group's next path took them to the outdoor section of Babies and Toddlers, where it didn't take them very long to spot the first sign as to where the trio of Little Green Men had wandered off to: a flying toy saucer. Before the gang set out to follow it, Hamm split off to go join Rex near the exit, leaving the others to pursue the UFO in the hopes of catching up with the last few straggling toys. Sure enough, they soon found the tiny aliens congregating near the Heartless-piloted ship in the hopes of boarding the 'mystic portal', as they called it, completely unaware of the danger that it posed to them. The ship snatched them up just as the others arrived, all of them racing to stop it before it could carry them away to parts unknown.

Fortunately, the flying saucer was a much easier obstacle to overcome than the action figure and doll before it. Using the surrounding shelves to give themselves some extra height, the group launched a series of well-timed attacks against it, each of them narrowly missing the Little Green Men in its clawed gasp. And sure enough, with a final solid blow from Sora's Keyblade, the ship went spinning downward, letting the trio of aliens go in the process just before it crashed into the ground, busted beyond repair.

"We are back!" one of the Little Green Men announced as the others hurried over to them.

"Our ship is no more."

"Nirvana will not be reached!"

"Sorry I trashed your ride,' Sora apologized, lifting one of the aliens up to his level.

"Fear not,' the smaller toy reassured.

"We still have our new home," one of the other Little Green Men chimed in.

"The Chamber of Andy!" all three proclaimed in bright unison.

"They're right," Buzz said, turning away from the others. "This isn't where we belong. We've been in this toy store long enough. Its time for us to go home to Andy's room and wait for the others there."

"But… Xehanort told us that room isn't even his _real _room!" Sora protested, knowing that the space ranger was giving up too easily.

"Can you prove any of that nonsense is even true?" Buzz asked coldly. "If this world really was 'split off' from some other one, then how do you explain Jessie showing up here out of the blue like she did?"

"But, Buzz," Jessie began with a frown. "I already told you, I don't even know how I got here in the first place."

"But you couldn't have just warped in here from another world entirely," the space ranger countered. "That just doesn't make any sense! So if _you're _here, then that means that even if that Andy's room _is _fake, that doesn't mean he's not somewhere in _this _world like you are, like the rest of us are! Which is why I'm going home to wait for him. No more debate. You with me, Jessie? Woody?"

"…Aw, Buzz…" Jessie sighed, clearly indecisive on the matter.

"…Hm…" Woody mused for a moment, though he ultimately took a more logistical route in the end. "You're right, Buzz. Now that we're all accounted for, we should meet up at the entrance and go home."

"I… guess you fellas have a point…" Jessie hesitantly agreed. "After all, for all we know, the others could already be waiting back at home for us even as we speak. We don't wanna leave them waiting, now do we?"

"No, we don't," Buzz said, an air of finality in his tone as he already began to head towards the exit.

Of course, Sora, Donald, and Goofy were all mutually and immediately disappointed as they watched the trio of toys turn to take their leave. By all accounts, they had thought they had formed some solid, special bonds with Woody, Buzz, and Jessie, but apparently, those bonds weren't quite enough to keep them all together. Still, the trio understood the toys' motivation; after all, their missions had always been rather different from the start. While Sora, Donald, and Goofy were preoccupied with looking for the Key to the Kingdom they still had found not a single sign of, all Buzz, Woody, and Jessie really wanted was to find their lost friends and pick up their peaceful lives where they had left off. Which meant that in order for both groups to actually accomplish their respective missions, it was probably for the best that they parted ways to do so.

"Ok," Sora nodded in acceptance. "We could have used friends like you to help us find that Key, and in the final showdown…"

"But Organization XIII's _our _problem to solve," Goofy said mindfully.

"Yeah, I can take 'em!" Donald exclaimed, dully confident.

"I'm not so sure about that…" Sora remarked with a wry, teasing grin.

"I'll show ya!" the magician huffed, chasing the Keybearer off once again as he laughed to himself all the while.

"You guys don't mind if we show you off, do you?" Sora asked the trio of toys as his bout of amusement wore out.

"That would be great," Woody grinned, tipping his hat at the trio.

"Yeah! The more the merrier!" Jessie cheered warmly.

Likewise, Buzz nodded in agreement with the sentiment, though it was clear leaving the store was still his highest priority. Even so, the collective group set off, preparing to part ways, likely for the last time, by the time they reached the store's exit. Or at least, that was the plan.

The gang had just about reached the rail system that would have gotten them down to the store's main lobby, a loud, excited shout echoed from the nearby Video Game section. A shout that was all too familiar to just about all of the toys.

"Hey…" Sora frowned as he turned towards the section's entrance. "Isn't that-"

"Rex!" Woody exclaimed, spotting the telltale green tail poking out from one of the game displays. And sure enough, the dinosaur was indeed engrossed in the Video Game section, or namely, in its centerpiece display for the popular _Verum Rex _game.

"Ah! There you are!" Rex exclaimed as the group hurried into Video Games to meet him. "Look! Look! I found it!" The dinosaur proudly presented a copy of the game to the Keybearer in particular. "See, Sora? Here you are!"

"Hm…" Sora frowned as he looked over the game's cover, noting that the central character on it only bore a very passing semblance to him. "Well, I never look _this _good. The clothes kinda match, I guess…"

Even so, despite the lack of much of a resemblance, Woody and Buzz in particular saw some all the same as they took another look at the game's prominent display. "Well, whaddaya know! They really _are _video game figures," Woody remarked to the space ranger. "See? I told ya, Buzz. They're toys, just like the rest of us."

Buzz took yet another skeptical look at the trio as Rex continued to excitedly accost them all while Jessie tried her best to calm him down. "Well… I suppose…" the space ranger acknowledged somewhat stiffly.

At the same time, just as Jessie had successfully managed to convince Rex to settle down, Sora was still rather confused as he looked to the _Verum Rex _display again himself. "Donald," he whispered to the magician as discreetly as he could. "I thought your magic decided how I look in worlds like this. Explain."

"Simple," Donald said succinctly. "That's _not _you. Honestly, he doesn't even really _look _like you at all."

"Yeah, I'd say he looks more like Riku!" Goofy chimed in. "Come to think of it, Riku would make a great action figure!"

"So it must be _him_!" the magician quipped confidently.

"N-no, it's me!" Sora protested, flustered. "I've got the black clothes and, uh…"

"So what?" Donald cut in, hands on his hips as he sent the Keybearer a knowing grin.

The rather dry exchange didn't get much of a chance to continue as Buzz spoke up, calling the groups' attention back to the matter at hand. "Alright, everyone," the space ranger began. "Now that we're back together, it's time to return to Andy's room."

"Now?" Rex asked, clearly disappointed as he looked through a rack of game guides. "But can't I at least check the strategy guide? I wanna know how to beat Bahamut!"

"Next time," Buzz said, pulling the guide out of the dinosaur's hands. "Right now, we need to go home."

Upon receiving a comforting pat from the space ranger, Rex begrudgingly complied, following him to rejoin the others and head out once and for all. Or at least, that's what they _would _have done, if they hadn't been joined by the most unwelcome arrival they could have been faced with.

"Oh, but you needn't rush off…"

The very moment he so much as heart the young master's voice, Sora's Keyblade was in his hands, his expression fierce and his body tense as he spun around to face him. "Xehanort!" he shouted harshly, refusing to let his guard down around the young master again.

"There's still a Key that needs to be found," Young Xehanort explained with an easy smile. "Certainly, you can't be leaving just yet."

"_We're _not," Sora countered coldly. "It's us that you really want. Leave the others out of this."

Despite this earnest appeal, Young Xehanort simply laughed it off with a mocking chuckle. "You _would _say that, champion of light. Or perhaps I should look to the future and refer to you as a champion of _darkness_, instead…" Sora didn't respond to this direct, horrific implication, instead opting to send the young master a defiant glare as his grip on his Keyblade tightened. "Very well, let's skip to the final stage."

As Sora, Donald, and Goofy all took up their weapons in defense against whatever attack Young Xehanort had planned first, none of them failed to notice the lone Heartless steadily approaching the group from behind. Or more specifically, approaching Buzz.

"Buzz?" Rex was the first to notice the odd clouds of darkness budding up around the space ranger. "What's the matter?"

Strangely, Buzz didn't answer as the darkness seemed to disappear, though as he opened his eyes, they were noticeably vacant and dull, his expression dark and cold to match. But what was even more alarming, was that, without even skipping a beat, the space ranger turned, activating his laser and taking aim… directly at Woody.

The sheriff gasped, dumbfounded as he noticed the crimson reticle targeting him. Likewise, Jessie was also startled, hurrying over to the space ranger's side. "Buzz, what do you think you're doing?" she asked, though he didn't even so much as turn to glance at her.

"C'mon, Buzz," Woody chastised, even though Buzz kept his laser trained on him all the while. "Quit fooling around and-"

"Look out!" Goofy shouted, rushing in to block off the space ranger's unexpected blast with his shield just in time.

"Buzz!" Jessie gasped, though in an instant, Buzz had turned his laser on her instead. Once again, he fired, completely uncaring and unaware as to who he was attacking, though thankfully, the cowgirl had the wits about her to not only dodge the blast but push Rex out of the way of it as well. "W-what's going on?!" she exclaimed, aptly horrified at this dramatic turn of events.

"I-I can't believe it!" Woody shook his head incredulously. "Buzz has been taken over?"

The answer to this was immediately apparent as Buzz continued firing blast after blast at his very own friends. It took a bit of doing, but eventually, Jessie to get over to Woody, joining him behind Goofy's shield while Donald ran over to give him some much-needed support in warding the space ranger off. Sora, however, focused his attention on the very person who had caused this disaster in the first place.

"What did you do to him?!" the Keybearer demanded, disgusted that Young Xehanort would stoop so low as to harm the innocent inhabitants of this world. In fact, he was so outraged that he didn't give the young master much of a chance to answer before he rushed him, Keyblade at the ready to attack with all his might and frustration behind it. And yet, just as he tried to land a heavy strike, Young Xehanort completely vanished into thin air, only to casually reappear just a few feet away.

"I thought I made it clear," he mused, barely giving Sora's continued attempts to land a hit on him any mind at all. "I am testing the strength of their bonds. In this world, toys have hearts. And those hearts come from a powerful bond." Just when Sora thought that Young Xehanort was within his range for a possible swing, the young master disappeared once more, this time rematerializing on a shelf high above him. "So what happens when those bonds are stretched to their limits? When they are worlds apart, can cloth and plastic hold onto their hearts? And can the deluge of emotions that will doubtless come about when those bonds do inevitably break be enough to call upon the Key that could very well be tied to this world's heart?" By now, Sora's growing anger, coupled with immense annoyance at the young master's elusiveness, had largely made him reckless as he chased Young Xehanort up onto the shelf, all in a haphazard effort to land so much as a single blow of retaliation against him. Something that the young master always seemed to effortlessly avoid every time. "All I needed was a wedge to widen the divide—someone like you to fill them with distrust and doubt. And that chasm _you_ created," Young Xehanort's dark grin widened as he materialized down on the floor, far out of Sora's immediate reach yet again. "Can be filled with immense shadows. In that way, it seems as though you're already fulfilling your purpose as the thirteenth seeker of darkness, Sora, all without even realizing it. I commend you for your efforts to the cause."

By the time Sora touched down on the ground, Young Xehanort had once again disappeared, though this time, he didn't instantly show up somewhere else. Despite his immense desire to get some sort of justice against the young master and his twisted tactics, it did provide the Keybearer the chance to see the continuing peril his friends were in just a few feet away.

"Sora!" Donald's warning shout alerted him to the fact that Buzz was still open firing his laser on Woody, Jessie, and Goofy. The captain's shield was the only thing protecting the trio from the space ranger's dangerous attacks, and despite Rex and Donald's best efforts to pry Buzz away, he remained grounded and unphased in the harmful onslaught he had been forced into.

"D-Do something!" Rex cried desperately as him and Donald struggled to maintain their hold on the rouge space ranger.

"On my way!" Sora called, rushing forward. He didn't get very far however, before he was harshly yanked back by his Keyblade. He gasped as he found himself swiftly hoisted up by Young Xehanort himself to the point that he was face to face with the young master's severe expression.

"Perhaps you need a reminder since it looks as though you've _clearly _forgotten," Young Xehanort remarked disapprovingly, hardly heeding the Keybearer's attempts at struggling against his hold. "Try as you might, you can't save everyone. Not them," he nodded over at the ongoing conflict in the distance. "Not your missing lights, and _especially _not yourself. Which is why there's no point in even deluding yourself into thinking you can try."

"O-oh yeah?" Sora asked as defiantly as he could manage. "Watch me."

"Oh, I intend to," Young Xehanort smirked once more as his dark Keyblade flashed into his free hand. "Which is why its my deepest pleasure to be able to give you _this_."

Before Sora could even react, Young Xehanort suddenly swung his Keyblade up fiercely. The strike slashed the Keybearer sharply across the chest, easily cutting through the supposedly sturdy plastic it was currently composed of. The blinding, booming agony he somehow felt was only doubled as the young master brought his blade down once more, creating yet another long, painful tear in the exact opposite direction. As soon as the decisive, damaging strike was complete, Young Xehanort finally released his unyielding hold on Sora's Keyblade, allowing the heavily injured Keybearer to fall at his feet with a dull, empty clunk.

And for a moment, the most Sora could do was lay there, practically drowning in pain that he shouldn't have even been feeling in his current form. It all spiked at his heart in particular, especially as his new horrendous wound suddenly flashed with inexplicable darkness. Young Xehanort continued to stand over the listless Keybearer, watching in muted satisfaction as the scar, or _sigil _rather, bloomed with darkness yet again. As it did, a wave of pure white washed itself across Sora's otherwise chestnut hair, bright, bitter gold sparking in his eyes and nearly overtaking the usual blue in them entirely as tendrils of pure darkness began to creep upon his lower arms. And yet, the young master was rarely taken aback when these physical signs vanished just as quickly as they had appeared, leaving Sora heavily wounded still, yes, but just the same as he had always been.

"Hm…" Young Xehanort scowled down at the Keybearer, who didn't pay him any mind amidst his own anguish. "It seems as though I underestimated just how much of a fight they were willing to put up to protect you. No matter. Their interference will all end up being for nothing when you finally free their hearts from the depths of your own. And when you do, the empty chasm left behind will just be _begging _to be filled with the very darkness you try so hard to fight against. Which is why I'll take the greatest of pleasures in filling it up with that darkness _personally_…"

The young master finished with a cold grin as he made his exit into the dark corridor that had formed behind him. Sora only barely heard another one open up somewhere else in the room, though as blurred as his vision currently was, he couldn't exactly make out where. He did catch onto the plaintiff cries of several of his companions, and even despite his fortunately fading pain, that was enough to prompt him to finally make an attempt to move and see exactly what was going on. And as soon as he did, he quickly wished he hadn't as he just managed to spot Buzz disappearing into that other dark corridor himself, despite the other toys' desperate efforts to stop him.

"No!" Rex cried just as the dark portal vanished into nothing. "Buzz!"

"Where did he go?!" Jessie asked just as upset. "Where did that… that _thing _take him?!"

"And better yet…" Woody frowned sadly, realizing that the space ranger truly was beyond their reach for now. "How do we get him back?"

"That was one of them dark corridors," Goofy explained, equally forlorn. "As for where it leads… well, garwsh, that's just about anyone's guess."

"B-but don't worry!" Donald quickly interjected in an attempt to raise morale. "We'll find him _and _get him back to normal! Won't we, Sora?" The magician paused for a beat, only for both him and the captain to receive a terrifying shock the moment they glanced over at their young companion. "Sora!"

Up until now, both Donald and Goofy had largely been too preoccupied in helping the others fend off Buzz to pay too much mind to Sora's confrontation against Young Xehanort. But now, their attention was entirely devoted to the Keybearer as they rushed over to him as he remained on the floor, trying his hardest to recover from the devastating blow he had just sustained.

"Sora!" Goofy cried, immensely concerned as both him and Donald knelt down to their young companion's level. "What happened to ya?!"

"Are you ok?!" Donald asked just as intently, his wand at the ready to cast some healing magic if need be.

"Y-yeah…" Sora said, finally catching his lost breath as he slowly began to pick himself up to a sitting position with his companions' help. "Yeah, I-I'll be fine. I just-" He stopped short, looking between Donald and Goofy with apt confusion as they stared at him in equal alarm. "What?"

The pair answered only in the form of pointing directly at the Keybearer's chest, and the moment he took a glance down at it himself, he was quick to understand where their shock was coming from. Young Xehanort's brutal attack had indeed left a vicious mark in the form of a large, clear, obvious "x" torn right across the center of his chest. With his form currently being as plasticine as it was, the wound fortunately offered no blood or signs of internal damage, but it still formed two deep, sharp, jagged cracks across the surface of his body, ones that, by all accounts, looked quite sinister to say the least.

"Whoa…" Woody gasped as him, Jessie, and Rex approached the trio. "That's… a _lot _of damage. Are you sure you're gonna be alright, Sora?"

"It's… an x…" Sora muttered, largely to himself as he continued staring down at the glaring scar in growing horror.

"What?" Donald asked, confused.

Sora nearly repeated himself, though he stopped short as he slowly reached a hand up towards the damming mark as he realized the sickening truth behind it. _"You've been on a path, one that we laid out for you. That sigil on your chest is the proof," _Young Xehanort had explained during the Mark of Mastery exam. Or rather, during the very intentional trap that had been set for the Keybearer, when that sigil had been branded onto his clothes rather than his very body. _"That sigil, the x, it tells us where you are at all times. You had wondered aloud before—why we kept showing up where you were. Its because we need you, Sora, or—to be more precise, we need what will be left of you—the thirteenth dark vessel."_

A sigil, an emblem, an undeniable brand with the sole intention of signaling him out but ensuring that he stayed under their ever-watching eye, no matter where he went. Only this time, that mark was much more impactful, much more _permanent. _Much like the Organization's persistent, invasive attempts at goading him onto their side, Sora knew that this was a mark he'd never be able to escape either. Not unless—

"D-Donald!" the Keybearer exclaimed, suddenly desperate. "Can you heal—I-I mean, can you _fix _it?" he corrected, remembering the need to maintain the world order.

The magician couldn't help but smirk at this, even despite Sora's obvious worry. "Well, only because you asked the _right _way," he complied, swiftly casting a powerful Curaga spell. However, instead of acting quickly and correctly as that type of magic usually did, as soon as its healing glow washed over Sora, it became alarming apparent that, for some reason or another, it didn't work at all.

"W-wha-?!" Donald balked at his magic failing, and as a result, he didn't hesitate to try again, only to no avail once again. Sure enough, the x-shaped scar was still there, still as present and glaring as ever, much to Sora's ever-increasing dread.

"W-why isn't it working?!" he demanded tensely as he finally pulled himself up to stand.

"I don't know!" Donald shot back, giving his wand an impatient shake. "Darn thing, it never acts up like this!"

"Well, what if your healing magic isn't workin' right because—" Goofy paused, dropping his voice down to a whisper so the other toys couldn't catch on. "'Cause of us bein' toys in this world?"

"Hm… that _could _be the reason…" Donald mused, somewhat skeptical.

"W-well, then you can always just heal it after we leave," Sora purposed, both anxious and hopeful. "Right?"

"As long as you can hold out for that long," the magician agreed. "Are you sure that it doesn't hurt?"

"No, it really doesn't," Sora replied and he meant it. Now that the initial internal pain of the wound had faded, nothing of it seemed to be left behind, other than the hideous scar itself.

"Well, at least that's _one _good thing to hear right now," Woody interjected as the trio of toys rejoined the conversation.

"You might wanna be more careful from here on out, Sora," Jessie advised earnestly. "Keep roughing it up with a crack like that and you might just end up breaking!"

"Tell be about it…" Sora sighed, wondering exactly when the Organizations' assaults against him and his heart would finally end up going too far. "A-anyway, we've gotta find some way to help Buzz!"

"Of course," Woody nodded, initially resolute, though his tone quickly turned to defeat. "But… we still have no idea where that 'dark corridor' thing took him…"

"Sir, did I hear you say 'dark corridor'?" Sarge cut into the conversation as him and a few of his men approached the group.

"That's right, Sarge," the sheriff tipped his hat. "Any ideas?"

"Well, it might be a long shot," the commander began. "But we've sighted a shadowy portal in the Kiddy Korral. We can infiltrate from a window in Babies and Toddlers. We'll head there now and get it open."

Needless to say, Woody instantly perked up upon hearing that there was a chance, however small, that they could rescue Buzz after all. "Sarge, you're a lifesafer! You guys in?" he asked with a daring smile as he turned to the others.

"Yee haw!" Jessie shouted first, bold and excitable. "You _know _I'm always up for saving my—I-I mean _our _favorite spaceman!"

"So are we," Sora smiled, his usual verve returning as Donald and Goofy nodded their steady agreement.

"Er, n-not that I don't wanna help, but… I should probably join the others back at the exit," Rex said, clearly intimidated by the dangerous confrontation to come. "But please, bring Buzz home safely! W-with batteries included!"

"Don't worry," Woody assured. "We're gonna get our friend back."

"We're gonna get _all _our friends back," Jessie added, harkening back to their overall mission. A mission that, as they all set out towards what would no doubt be a critical showdown, they were more than ready to complete, especially if it meant finally bringing all of their lost, scattered, or even possessed friends together again once and for all.

* * *

Not wanting to leave Buzz in the hands of the Heartless for any longer than necessary, the group didn't waste any time in following Sarge's intel towards the Kiddy Korral. The colorful play place seemed massive compared to the collection of toys, though they all still pressed through it all the same, climbing up its padded fixtures and taking the Heartless head on along the way. The loose, playful banter that had been tossed around the group before had been all but silenced during this trip, replaced with a unanimous sense of anxiety and dread for a number of reasons: for Buzz, still lost to himself and trapped under the oppressive hold of the Heartless, for the long, gnarling scar still marring Sora's chest, containing a dark, hidden meaning that only he really knew about, and for the obvious danger and despair they were all still in so long as they remained empty, hallow, _fake _world apart.

Still, they did find some semblance of relief upon slipping out of the Kiddy Korral and back into the ventilation system once more. From there, it didn't take them too long to find the dark corridor they had been looking for, standing wide open and waiting, as if Young Xehanort was offering them all an open invitation. Which, by all accounts, he very likely was.

So the toys boldly ventured into the shadowy portal, emerging into a vast void that seemed to be composed of the very same sort of immense darkness itself. A few scattered blocks and other fixtures hung scattered, suspended throughout the space and all localized around its centerpiece: a long tendril of sturdy darkness, one that was holding a certain space ranger in place.

"Buzz!" Woody exclaimed, spotting him first. Oddly enough, Buzz seemed completely unresponsive as he remained in the darkness' thrall, though fortunately it wasn't actively controlling him now. However just as the group began to rush to save him, Young Xehanort himself appeared to guard him, sending the group a bitter scowl that was enough to mostly stop them in their tracks. All except for Woody, who refused to let this twisted man toy with his friends any longer. "You!" he shouted fiercely. "What do you want with Buzz?!"

Of course, Young Xehanort largely ignored the sheriff's demand as he instead gestured to the nightmarish void all around them. "Look… such immense darkness. All because he was ripped away from the boy who cares about him most."

The darkness surrounding the toys seemed to pulse with power at this, almost as if it could sense the growing fear among them all. "S-so… all this happened because… 'cause we were separated from Andy?" Jessie asked, exchanging a fretful glance with Woody. "So if we don't find him…"

"Does that mean…" the sheriff trailed off, barely able to voice such a terrifying thought. "We'll _all _end up like Buzz…?"

"You certainly will," Young Xehanort smirked before he focused his attention specifically, _purposefully_ on Sora. "In fact… some of you already _are_…"

The Keybearer flinched at this, only barely resisting the urge to steal yet another glance down at the sinister sigil scarring his chest. And yet, for as much fear and dread that it brought him, for as deep as that scar and the lingering worry that darkness truly was starting to take a hold upon his heart, he quickly reminded himself that he couldn't let that fear, that _darkness _overtake him. Not as long as his friends, both old and new, were at stake.

"Wrong," Sora countered as firmly, and boldly as he could. Surprised. Both Woody and Jessie turned to him, their focus drawn away from the shadows they were starting to sink into as they listened to what he had to say. "Distance doesn't matter. Andy's part of their hearts, just like my friends are part of mine. Those are the kinds of bonds, the kinds of _friendships _that _can't _be broken. No matter how hard you try, you _can't _tear them apart!"

The pair of distraught toys stilled as they heard this, looking to each other once more in earnest realization. Woody in particular carefully lifted up his boot, taking a moment to reaffirm what had always been there: Andy's name, faded by time as it might have been, but still there nonetheless. Much like the unbreakable bond of friendship between them.

Even from his spot far below, Woody could spot the very same name inscribed on Buzz's shoe and likewise, Jessie stopped to look at it written on her own. A constant reminder that no matter how far away they roamed or how many obstacles were put in their way, they were still Andy's toys. They were still Andy's _friends_, no matter what.

Even so, the warm sentiment was completely lost on Young Xehanort, who simply scoffed at the building hope that Sora had given them. His dark power propelled Buzz upward, far out of their reach as he addressed the Keybearer dryly. "What? 'Your friends are your power'?" he sneered knowingly. "Ah, how very true. After all, Sora, you are, and _will _be _nothing _without your precious friends. But what you fail to see is that if the light of friendship is a form of power, the darkness of being alone is a power even _greater_. Darkness is the heart's true nature. This is true of my heart… and of yours."

Despite Sora's prior resolve, this grim reminder of the horrific threat constantly hanging over his heart was enough to finally make him falter. He raced to come up with anything to say to rebuff it, but he was regrettably at a loss, especially as he finally did look down at his scar once again, the very sigil that intended to mark him as something he never, _ever _wanted to be.

Fortunately, though, he didn't have to come up with any sort of counter claims, for both Woody and Jessie stepped in to do it for him. "Whatever you're talking about, we don't care," the sheriff began crossly. "Put Buzz back the way he was, then get lost!"

"Or else _what_, toy?" Young Xehanort challenged mockingly, clearly not taking him seriously.

"Oh, you don't even wanna _begin _to find out, buster…" Jessie threatened, tightly adjusting her hat.

"Yeah, we _are _toys," Woody noted confidently. "But we're _also _friends."

"Not that someone like _you _would know what that means," the cowgirl continued with a determined scowl as both her and the sheriff began to press through the heavy darkness towards the young master. Or more specifically, towards Buzz.

"My guess," Woody said, brazen and confident. "Is that no one's ever loved you before. Because like Jessie just said, you know _nothing _about hearts, love, and friendship."

For perhaps the very first time, Young Xehanort seemed to be taken aback by such resistance, even moreso as the pair continued forward, each step they took disbanding the darkness around them. Their courageous resolve was not just surprising; it was inspiring. Which was why it didn't take long for Sora, Donald, and Goofy alike to all catch the practically contagious hope and resilience they were spreading.

"There are hearts all around us, trying to connect," Sora began, more than happy to defy the young master with perhaps the best weapon he had at his disposal: the truth. "Your 'loneliness' only made Woody, Buzz, and Jessie's connection stronger! _That's _the heart's true nature—to never, ever let go. And I'm sure, wherever they are, Andy and the other toys haven't let go either."

"Yeah!" Woody readily agreed. "You can't keep us from Andy! We're going home, no matter what."

"And we're taking Buzz with us!" Jessie chimed in, just as determined. "Whether you like it or not!"

"Xehanort," Sora said, refusing to back down this time against the man who wanted to drag him down so low. A twisted trap that he couldn't, _wouldn't _let himself fall into. Not now, not ever. "You're so caught up in finding the shadows that you forgot about the light that cast them. You know, you are right about one thing: my friends _are _my power! And its stronger than _any _power you think you might have. Because the connections between friends, real, _true _friends, is the sort of light that no amount of darkness can _ever _wipe out!"

Such a bold proclamation caused a ripple effect in the shadowy void, causing the darkness to retract and retreat. However, it barely managed to go anywhere at all before it suddenly stopped, freezing right in place in coiled, blackened waves. And that wasn't the only thing to freeze up, something that Sora instantly noticed as he looked over to Woody and Jessie, and even Donald and Goofy behind him, realizing that they were all practically stuck in place. In fact, he seemed to be just about the only one capable of moving, for even Young Xehanort himself wasn't budging or even reacting in any sort of way outside of the very beginnings of shock now inexplicably frozen on his face.

"W-wha-" Sora's confusion was almost immediately cut off as a bright flash of unknown light, spectacular and radiant, just about blinded him from out of nowhere. Tentatively, he turned to take in the seemingly endless expanse of golden light he now found himself in, everything and everyone else having somehow disappeared entirely. And amidst this light, came a voice, soft and smooth and indistinguishable as it echoed seemingly from all around him, even from, bewilderingly enough, within his own heart.

"_Is friendship really that important to you?" _it asked, calmly, curiously, almost as if it already knew the answer.

And yet, he still offered it an answer all the same, guided by awe, instinct, or perhaps something else entirely. "Yes," he said, not even having to think twice. After all, he had more or less just proclaimed the very same thing to Young Xehanort himself and it was a fact that he held true, one that he always had, right from the very start and one that he always, _always _would. "More than anything else."

The unknown voice said nothing more, reacting only by taking away the unearthly light it had brought with it and leaving the Keybearer with something else instead. Something that absolutely amazed him when he caught sight of what it was just as the world he knew returned around him.

Time still felt slow and subdued as he held the glittering new Keyblade that had somehow appeared in his hand up to get a better look. It didn't really look much like the Kingdom Key at all, its simple, yet elegant design bathed in the same golden glow he had just been enveloped in himself. But above all else, this Keyblade radiated _power_, sheer, raw, and unbridled, unlike any he had ever felt before, but the kind that felt so right, so strangely _natural _in his possession all the same.

"I-impossible… There it is!" Young Xehanort exclaimed, shocked to the point that he didn't even notice the fading shadows sweeping out behind him. "The first Key to the Kingdom!"

"What?!" Sora gasped as he turned the Key in his hand a bit. "The first Key? _This _is one of them?!"

"Wha-?! Where did you get that?!" Donald demanded, baffled.

"I-I don't know!" Sora exclaimed, completely unsure of how to explain what had just happened, since he couldn't really make any sense of it himself. "Everything just… stopped, and there was this light and this voice, and then it just… showed up in my hand for some reason!"

"Well then, worry not…" Young Xehanort interjected, a dark smirk on his face as he began his approach to claim the Key from the Keybearer. "You won't have to bear the burden of it much longer…"

Before the young master could get very far in his attempt, however, he failed to notice the darkness finally snapping out behind him, the shockwave of resounding light rippling back to Buzz, still hovering high above the ground. Young Xehanort only had time to turn around in angered surprise as his darkened restrains on the space ranger finally broke altogether. And just as they did, the young master found himself beset by Sora, Donald, and Goofy all at once. He summoned his own Keyblade just in time to counter their unified strike, but little did he know that actually landing their attack wasn't the trio's intention.

"Woody! Jessie! Now!" Sora called, making sure to give the pair exactly the opening they needed. And that's exactly what they took as they both made their move, whipping out their pull-strings yet again, this time launching them out at Buzz. Their loops both caught onto his limply hanging hands, and with a well-timed, single yank, they managed to pull him down from his ongoing unconscious hover. Since gravity was now acting upon the space ranger normally, they both rushed forward in an attempt to catch him, only for all three toys to land in a messy, haphazard pile.

While Woody and Jessie were both initially dazed by their rough landing, Buzz, surprisingly enough, was the first to stir among them. "Woody? Jessie?" he asked, leaning up to see the pair practically laying upon him.

"Buzz!" Jessie exclaimed, overjoyed to the joint that she didn't hesitate to pin the space ranger back down with a tight hug. "You're back!"

"Back?" Buzz rubbed his head, confused as all three toys moved to sit up. "From where? A-and… how did I get here… wherever 'here' is?"

"Oh, I don't know," Woody remarked with a hint of a wry grin. "Maybe somebody switched you into 'dark and stormy' mode."

"But I don't have a-" Buzz stopped, unspeakable shame filling him as he all too quickly realized what had happened to him. By all accounts, his very worst fears had come true, and all because he hadn't been strong to overcome them. But fortunately for the space ranger, his friends were still there to support him, even after he had fallen short.

"Hey, no hard feelings," Woody smiled, offering a hand to help him up.

"You're yourself again," Jessie added just as warmly. "And that's all that matters."

Buzz was hard pressed to deny this as he accepted the sheriff's helping hand. "Thank you, Woody. A-and you too, Jessie."

"Anytime," Woody said with a tip of his hat. "Good to have you back, Buzz

"Aw, there's that sweet spaceman I know and love!" Jessie beamed brightly.

"…L-love?" Buzz repeated, quite flustered upon hearing this.

The warm reunion between the trio was all too short lived, however, as they were very quickly alerted to the battle just kicking off behind them. Young Xehanort had only just managed to push Sora, Donald, and Goofy back with a broad swing, but the trio refused to be shaken so easily. Likewise, the young master angrily stood his ground, keeping his focus on the shining Keyblade Sora now held in particular.

"Enough of these childish games," Young Xehanort hissed in tranquil fury to the Keybearer in particular. "You _will _hand over that Key to me, or a simple scar and a touch of darkness will be _far _from the worst you and your foolish friends will suffer."

"Oh yeah?" Sora retorted, completely unafraid of the young master this time. After all, it was beyond clear that they had the upper hand, something that Young Xehanort himself even seemed to know. "Then go ahead and _try _to take it."

"But we can guarantee you won't get very far if you do," Woody spoke up, him, Jessie, and Buzz all forming another line of offense against the young master. The space ranger had already trained his laser on him, ready to fire at a moment's notice if he tried anymore sinister tricks.

"Hm," Young Xehanort simply laughed to himself at this show of united resistance against him. "How amusing. You really do think you've won, don't you? So soon? So early? A single Key hardly ensures any sort of victory. After all, there are still 12 more to find."

"Oh believe me, we know," Sora assured, still brandishing the Key. "And we're going to find them before you and your cronies can even get close."

Surprisingly enough, the young master's odd smile only deepened at this. "Believe _me_, Sora; nothing would please me more than if you did. After all, they're all going to end up in our hands by the end of it all anyway. Just the same as you. But that's something you hardly need another reminder of; after all, you already know the truth."

Sora didn't offer up any sort of verbal argument to this sadistic claim, instead opting to prove it wrong through acting against it instead. Moving swiftly and solidly, he rushed for the young master just as darkness began to converge around him. And yet, his broad swing never struck the disappearing master, instead phasing cleanly through him as he offered the Keybearer one final, whispered instruction. "Find the hearts joined to yours."

"Yes, master," Sora said immediately and just as quietly, without even thinking whatsoever. His eyes, sparked with the briefest hint of sudden gold, widened in shock the moment the involuntary words left his mouth, and the last thing he caught of Young Xehanort was a smug, satisfied smile just as he disappeared into the darkness.

With the void the young master had brought on now completely disappeared, the familiar, peaceful sights of Galaxy Toys' upper floors opened up around them. Woody, Jessie, and Buzz all shared a celebratory cheer at their success, one that Donald and Goofy mostly joined in on, though not without a hint of apprehension.

"Ha! Looks like that creepy fella was no match for _us _after all!" Jessie grinned proudly, throwing an arm around both Buzz and Woody's shoulders.

"No match for the rest of you, more like it," Buzz said with something of a bittersweet chuckle.

"Don't sell yourself short, Buzz," Woody remarked, hands on his hips. "I have a feeling it was that arm laser of yours that sent him running."

The trio shared a much needed laugh at this, though as soon as it was over, Goofy interjected a touch more seriously. "Huh, ya know, that was kinda… easy…" he remarked with a small frown. "Especially considerin' that was _Xehanort _himself."

"Oh, he's a big chicken!" Donald huffed, shaking his head. "I expected him to put up _way _more of a fight than that. Don't you think so, Sora?"

Sora's back was still more or less to the group, the shining Key now held loosely in his grip as he desperately tried to make sense of what he had somehow just said. He would have never, _ever _given Young Xehanort such respectful acknowledgement willingly, and what had brought it on at that moment was beyond him. But whatever it was downright _terrified _him just as much as the very sigil carved across his chest now did, to the point that he refused to even think on it any further, lest it drag him, and his friends down from the victory they had just achieved.

"Uh, I-I mean, yeah it might have been a _little _easy," Sora began, putting on a fake smile as he finally turned to face the others. "But so what? We still won! And we still got this!" His smile turned genuine as he held the Key up once more, relieved to finally have the first of hopefully many more claimed for the light.

"So that's the 'Key' you've been looking for?" Buzz asked, looking over it curiously. "Impressive. Though, you still haven't explained exactly what it's supposed to do…"

"Er—let's just say it'll help us out in a _big _way," Sora said, deciding to keep it simple. "Still, I… don't know if I really understand where it came from…"

"Well… didn't it show up right after you stood up to Xehanort?" Goofy asked.

"Well, yeah," Sora nodded, frowning. "But I don't see what that has to do with anything. I mean, all I did was talk about-" He stopped short with a gasp of realization, remembering both Master Yen Sid's advice as well as the very voice that had apparently granted him this Key in the first place. "Friendship! 'Feelings of the heart', that's it! I think it showed up because _that's _what my heart was feeling!"

"You got that Key just because you were _feeling _something?" Donald asked dubiously. "It _can't _be that simple."

"Who knows? Maybe it can be," Sora shrugged, looking to the Key in his hand once more, warm and bright as it symbolized the first piece of the rest of the important mission that lay ahead of them. "After all, we got this one, didn't we? So maybe that'll be the _key _to helping us find all the rest!"

"Oh! _Key_! I see what you did there!" Jessie laughed, slapping her knee. "Good one, Sora!"

"Yeah, that's was real clever!" Goofy chuckled, Buzz and Woody joining in on the levity.

Of course, the only one who didn't was Donald, who simply crossed his arms and pouted, before inevitably breaking out into a small begrudging, smile himself. "Eh, it wasn't _that _funny," he said, elbowing Sora lightly. "But you get an A for effort."

"I'll take it," the Keybearer smirked, more than glad that he had the company of such good friends like these to keep him grounded. Even when it seemed as everything else around him was only just starting to fall apart.

* * *

Seeing no reason to dwell within Galaxy Toys any further and with no obstacles impeding their path, the group of toys returned to the central lobby, regrouping with Rex, Hamm, the Little Green Men, and the green army men. After briefly catching up with the others, the toys made their resolve clear: to return home and wait for Andy to finally return, no matter how long that might take. After all, as far as they were concerned, a friend like him was well worth the wait.

Even so, not all low feelings were eased as they all began to depart the store. Something that Sora in particular made quite clear through a remorseful outburst that caught Buzz, Woody, and the others quite off guard. "I'm sorry!" he suddenly exclaimed adamantly. "I wanted to get you back to your real world!"

While surprised, Woody and Buzz exchanged a brief glance that ultimately turned into a shared contented smile. "It _does _seem that we're trapped here," the space ranger noted.

"Yeah, looks like we're gonna be here awhile," Jessie said with a hint of a grin.

"We'll never get home!" Rex lamented dramatically.

"Yeah, stuck like pigs," Hamm remarked casually.

"Our position appears fixed," Sarge reported.

"Oh noooo!" the trio of aliens cried in unison.

Of course, such truthful sentiments only served to make the sense of disappointment that Sora, Donald, and Goofy all now shared grow. That is, until Buzz completely turned it all around. "A shame we'll have to stay a little longer… with our new best friends."

"Huh?!" the trio exclaimed in baffled unison.

"After all the adventures we've had," Woody began, placing a friendly hand on Sora's shoulder. "We're not quite ready to say 'so long'."

"We're a team after all," Jessie added, sending the trio a playful wink. "And teams gotta stick together."

The other toys all chipped in their bright agreement to this, something that instantly warmed the trio's hearts completely. "Aw, you guys…" Sora grinned somewhat bashfully.

At the same time, Buzz extended an even hand out to the three, his expression turning sincere and earnest. "I'm sorry that I was being so stubborn. Please, forgive me."

"Hey, you were just looking out for your friends," Sora easily accepted the space ranger's handshake. "No biggie."

"Yeah, _somebody's _gotta be the sensible one," Hamm interjected. "Especially since Woody's always getting into trouble."

"W-what?" Woody balked, surprised.

"Heh, he's got you pegged, sheriff," Jessie smirked. "You've got a bad habit of getting tangled up into all sorts of messes."

"And no one would know that better than us," Buzz added with a firm nod.

"Garwsh," Goofy chuckled to Donald. "That sounds a little like Sora, doesn't it?"

At this, both the sheriff and the Keybearer looked to each other, absolutely baffled by the respective, yet similar accounts their friends were providing of them. Yet even still, Donald chimed in to add onto the playful teasing.

"Yeah, and _I'm _the dependable one!" the magician announced, crossing his arms.

"Like Buzz!" Rex chimed in. "…Kinda."

The entire group erupted into laughter they were more or less powerless to hold back at this, something that ignited the magician's rather short fuse, though fortunately, he didn't get the chance to explode entirely. "Heh, guess that would the likes of me and Goofy here the _fun _ones," Jessie remarked, pointing to herself and the captain.

"Which rounds us off at two whole sets of three!" Goofy proclaimed with a bright grin.

"It sure does," Woody agreed. "And besides, if we do go back to the real world, we'd never get to see you guys again, right?"

Sora's smile finally faltered at this, the familiar realization setting in that a parting was not too far in the offing. It was something they'd done many times before, saying goodbye to new friends in new worlds to take off to entirely different ones. Such was the life of the trio as they set out on each new mission to protect the worlds. But as used to it as they were, that didn't make doing it any more easier. "But… what about Andy?" the Keybearer asked, slightly trying to put off the inevitable. "You care about him _so _much-"

"And he'll still be right here with us," Buzz cut in, placing a hand over his heart.

"If we follow our hearts, we'll find him again," Woody assured, throwing an arm around Sora's shoulder.

"All we gotta do is let that big ol' bond of friendship light the way," Jessie said, sending the Keybearer a knowing nod.

Of course, upon hearing their touching resolve and dedication, Sora was really unable to do much else but smile at just how much they believed in both Andy and their unbreakable connection to him. A sentiment that he very much carried with his own friends as well, both near and far.

"So, Sora," Woody said as the group continued to head towards the store's doors. "You're goin' after the rest of those Keys of course, and the guy in the black coat?"

"Something tells me we can't join you in that mission," Buzz said, shaking his head.

"But that's ok!" Jessie chimed in. "Cause it'll still _feel _like you fellas are right here with us."

"O-oh?" Sora asked, both somewhat sad and slightly confused. "What do you mean?"

"You've become a part of our hearts," Woody exclaimed as he continued forward, though not before stopping to turn and point at the Keybearer's heart, ignoring the x-shaped scare running parallel to it. "So let _us _become a part of yours."

Needless to say, Sora, Donald, and Goofy didn't have to think twice about this request. With shared, elated smiles, they rushed forward, readily embracing the various toys of the group, with each of whom they'd formed such special bonds of friendship in such a short amount of time. Bonds that wouldn't be so easily broken or forgotten, no matter how great the distance between them.

"Now, off you go," Buzz proclaimed to the trio after all of the fond farewells had been exchanged throughout the group. Of course, the space ranger wasn't one to see such close friends off without his signature catchphrase, and that's exactly what he used here as the trio took off to leave on whatever leg of their journey awaited them next.

"To infinity and beyond!"

* * *

**So yep! That's the end of the Toy Story saga! Honestly, I had fun with it as our first full-fledged Disney world in this. And hey, one Key down, 12 more to go (oof this story is gonna be LONG). Next time around, however, we're actually gonna pop in on Riku and Mickey and see what they're up to (and maybe get a... surprise appearance from someone special... ;) Anyway, if you liked what you saw, please feel free to leave your thoughts in the REVIEWS! Until next time! :) **


	14. Chapter 13: Chase the Shadows

_Whoa! A pretty timely update for a change? Nice! Anyway, this is just another interval chapter between worlds (its a structure ya'll should mostly get used to in Keys, two chapters per Disney world then a plotty interval, though there's some instances in which we'll break from that for sure). And this one's ok. Includes a lot of interactions I really enjoyed writing, plus some really interesting build up at the end, so that's fun. But for now, enjoy!_

* * *

_Chapter 13: Chasing the Shadows_

_I want you for a lifetime  
So if you're gonna think twice, baby  
I don't wanna know, baby, I don't wanna know_

"_Oh! Hi, Riku! I… guess you missed me? Probably 'cause you and the king are _super _busy trying to help Master Aqua, which—I know, I know, is _really _important and I shouldn't be distracting you from it, but… B-but I wanted to check in and see how you're doing, s-so… so yeah. Call me back whenever you can, ok? I… I'll talk to you later. B-bye!"_

While normally, Riku would have welcomed just about any unexpected message from Sora with a warm smile, he couldn't help but frown as he watched this one play out on his Gummiphone's screen. It had started off normal enough, with the Keybearer as upbeat and lively as ever, if not a bit distracted. But as the message went on, the more Riku noticed Sora's cheery tone starting to slip, his train of thought disconnecting as he continually glanced away out of worry, anxiety, or something else entirely. And considering just how quickly and abruptly he had brought said message to a close without really relaying much at all within it, Riku couldn't help but wonder if there was much more to it than just a simple hello.

"Whatcha watchin', Riku?" Mickey asked as he trailed alongside his young companion, noticing his tight focus on his phone.

"Oh, its just a message Sora left for me, I must have missed a call from him earlier," Riku explained, handing the Gummiphone over to the king so he could see. "Say, Mickey… you don't notice anything… off about that message, do you?"

The king furrowed his brow as he watched the quick message before shaking his head and returning the Gummiphone to Riku. "Well, gosh, I can't say that I do. To me, it just seems like Sora just wanted to see how things are going on our end. Why don't ya give him a call back when we're done?"

"Yeah," Riku nodded, putting his phone away. He should have figured that Mickey wouldn't have been able to catch onto the little things that he had noticed, tiny, barely noticeable tells that he had always been able to spot in Sora, even from the time they had both been very little. The hesitant pauses, the faltering smiles, even the slightest shift in his voice were all hints to Riku, hints that _something _was wrong with his best friend, even if the Keybearer himself didn't outright admit that himself. Which was why Riku knew it was up to him to figure out what that something was, one way or another. "I really should…"

"Well, we shouldn't take very long here, so you'll have a good chance to once we leave," Mickey noted with a small grin, leading the rest of the way ahead the bustling streets. "Though I'm sure Kairi wouldn't mind getting a chance to talk to Sora too."

Riku smirked. "I know for a fact she wouldn't," he said, his worry lifting at the thought of seeing his other best friend so soon.

Acting on Yen Sid's first instructions for them, Riku and Mickey had voyaged out to Radiant Garden, the special sets of clothing they were meant to deliver to Kairi and Lea in hand. It was more of a side-step in their overall mission to find and save Aqua, but they had their hopes that this trip would offer them some assistance on that matter as well. After all, according to the king, Radiant Garden was the last place Aqua had been seen within the realm of light before her disappearance into the Realm of Darkness over a decade ago. If there was any place to begin their search anew, it would be here.

But for now, the pair had opted to take care of the more simpler task first by venturing over to Merlin's house to drop off the clothes. They weren't entirely sure if Yen Sid had forwarded the message of their arrival to the wizard, which was why Mickey made the move to knock on the front door. However, just before he did, the door disappeared off its hinges entirely, much to the duo's shared alarm.

"Ah, your majesty! And young Riku as well!" Merlin's voice sounded out from within the house. "Do come in. I'm just in the middle of working on a certain… project."

Intrigued, the pair exchanged a glance before heading inside, only to find the wizard hard a work on what seemed to be a spell in the front room's central table. "Master Merlin!" Mickey greeted with a cordial nod and grin. "It's great to see ya again!"

"Same to you, your highness," Merlin said, glancing up from his work to offer the king the same show of respect. "Terribly sorry about not coming to door to let you boys in myself, but as you can see, you caught me at a bit of a bad time."

"If you don't mind me asking," Riku spoke up, curiously looking at the odd ball of what seemed to be darkness the wizard was putting together. "What exactly are you working on, master?"

"Oh, just a special curriculum exam for my two star pupils," Merlin quipped proudly. "Or rather, my _only _two pupils. Either way, I imagine this will be more than enough to test their meddle, don't you boys agree?" The wizard briefly lifted his hands away from the spell of darkness to reveal the steadily forming creature inside of it, one that both Riku and Mickey quickly recognized.

"Is that…?"

"A Darkside, yes," Merlin nodded, finishing Riku's question. "It should prove to be a more than suitable target for Lea and Kairi to demonstrate that they're ready to move onto the next part of their training. Large and intimidating, but not _too _dangerous of an opponent for them to match wits against so long as they're working together."

"You're not… pitting them against anything they _can't _handle, are you?" Riku asked with a frown, slightly concerned about Kairi's wellbeing, given her relative lack of experience in a fight.

"Oh, goodness, no, of course I'm not!" Merlin huffed in faux offense. "My boy, the two of them came here to be taught and that's exactly what I'm doing: _teaching _them, not torturing them. And if you don't believe me, why don't you ask them yourself?"

With a succinct snap of his fingers, the wizard instantly teleported both of his pupils into the room, though clearly, he did so without any sort of warning. Lea and Kairi had their backs turned to the group from the moment they arrived, Keyblades in their grasps and their defensive battle stances steady. That is, until they happened to notice their very sudden change of scenery.

"Wha—hey!" Lea exclaimed, aptly baffled. "How'd we end up back here?"

"What happened to all those Heartless?" Kairi asked, just as confused as she glanced back at the wizard behind them. "Merlin, did we do something wro-" She cut herself off with a sharp gasp as she noticed their teacher wasn't the only one present in the room. "Riku!" she exclaimed with a delighted smile, not hesitating to catch her longtime friend in a warm embrace.

"Good to see you too, Kairi," Riku chuckled, easily returning her hug.

"Well, any break in the routine Heartless-grinding is fine by me," Lea remarked with a small smirk. "To what do we owe the pleasure?"

"Now, now, Lea," Merlin chastised. "Don't think that this visit is a chance for you to shirk your responsibilities. I'm sending you and Kairi right back into your lesson the moment Riku and his majesty leave."

"Tch, ya just couldn't let us have so much as a _little _break, could you?" Lea asked, exasperated.

"We just _had _a break a few hours ago!" Kairi pointed out with a wry, teasing smile. "Admit it, you're just being _lazy_."

"Who, me?" the former assassin asked just as playfully. "Never. I just think that all work and no play is bound to make a guy a pretty dull Keyblade wielder. You two have been doing this way longer than we have-" He addressed Riku and Mickey. "So you can vouch for that, right?"

"Hm… I don't know about that…" Mickey shook his head dubiously.

"Yeah, I can't say I feel the same," Riku said, raising a critical eyebrow. "But don't worry; I know someone who'd probably agree with you."

"Let me guess…" Kairi's grin deepened as both her and Riku knowingly said the exact same name.

"Sora!"

Of course, this immediately elicited a bright, shared laugh from the pair, one that Mickey, Lea, and even Merlin all soon joined in on, all of them knowing the occasionally flighty Keybearer all too well. "Well, as great as it is to catch up," Mickey said after the bout of levity had faded. "I'm afraid we can't stay for too long."

"That's right," Riku nodded. "We have to keep looking for keep looking for clues that'll help us find Aqua. In fact, we only really stopped by to drop these off."

At this, Riku and Mickey presented the pair with the suitcases Yen Sid had tasked them with delivering, much to Kairi's curiosity and Lea's relative apathy. "Oh, wow, _suitcases_," the former assassin deadpanned. "Would've been great to have one of these when I was packing my bags to come stay here, but eh, guess it's the thought that counts."

"Wait," Kairi interjected, knowing more accurately what these suitcases likely contained as she took hers. "Are these… new clothes? Like yours?"

"Yeah," Riku said with a small grin. "And like Sora's too, I guess."

"Oh? Sora has a new outfit too…?" Kairi wondered aloud, more to herself than anyone else, quite intrigued to see exactly what said outfit looked like, perhaps even more than her own.

"New clothes, eh?" Lea casually lifted his suitcase up and down. "What's the occasion? Is it a 'Welcome to the Keyblade Club' gift or something?"

"Uh… yeah, that's sorta right, actually!" Mickey pointed out. "Master Yen Sid said these special clothes are supposed to protect us all from the darkness, which is gonna be a big help against Xehanort and the Organization."

"Ah, then these special garments must be the work of Flora, Fauna, and Merriweather," Merlin noted, briefly looking over Riku and Mickey's new outfits. "I knew the magic woven into them seemed familiar. In that case, you're all in good hands when it comes to those clothing, I can guarantee."

"Well, that's good to know, but…" Kairi trailed off with a small frown as she looked to Riku and the king in particular. "I'm not really sure if it was worth so much effort in the first place. After all, its not like _we're _going to be going up against Xehanort himself like the two of you and Sora are."

"Whoever said you weren't?" Riku asked, confused. "Isn't that why you're both here? So you can train to help out in the fight against the Organization?"

"Well, yeah…" Kairi shrugged, still rather uncertain. "But… I thought that was it. We were just going to _help_. I mean, let's be serious here, Riku," she laughed rather depreciatingly. "Its not like I ever really get to do anything as important as you and Sora do."

Riku paused, genuinely taken aback by such a remark. And while one part of him wanted to find out exactly how long and why Kairi felt this way, instead, he opted to take another route altogether. "Well, you do now," he said, his tone both serious and reassuring. "You're one of the seven lights now, Kairi. So are you, Lea, and so is Mickey, so is Sora, and so am I. And its going to take each of us working together to put a stop to Xehanort's plans once and for all. And if _that's _not something important, then I don't know what is."

While both Kairi and Lea were rather amazed by such a short, yet inspiring speech, Mickey simply smiled and nodded his approval over it, clearly proud of just how far his young companion had come. "Well said, Riku. And that's why we gotta get the rest of our lost lights back too, like Aqua!"

"Speaking of which, we should probably get back to looking around town for any clues we can find about her," Riku reminded the king.

"Aw, you sure you can't stay just a little longer?" Kairi asked, glad to have any rare moment she could get with either Riku or Sora for that matter.

"Yeah, are ya sure?" Lea asked, dropping his voice a bit. "You heard the old coot; the minute you two leave, he's gonna toss us right back into whole mess of Heartless."

"I heard that!" Merlin snapped with an impatient scowl. "Just for that little crack, I'm assigning you to one extra hour of early morning training, my boy. Maybe _that _will finally teach you some much-needed manners."

"Wha—Aw, come on!" Lea groaned, ignoring Kairi's amused chuckle. "I swear, if somebody told me I'd never get to sleep in again, I would've seriously thought twice about this whole Keyblade wielder thing."

A bout of good-natured laughter arose amongst the rest of the group at this, and despite his initial dour attitude, Lea himself eventually joined in on it. Even so as it came to a close, Riku and Mickey prepared to take their leave, though not before offering the others an encouraging farewell on their way out.

"Good luck with your training!" Mickey bid Lea and Kairi a bright wave. "And just think, pretty soon, you two will be right out there, fighting alongside the rest of us!"

"That is, if you don't overwork yourselves first," Riku reminded with a small grin.

"Hey, tell the old man that, not us," Lea said, crossing his arms.

"And don't overwork _yourselves _either," Kairi retorted knowingly. "Especially you, Riku."

"No promises," the new master said, though his tone was still rather light all the same. "After all, like I said, we _all _have very important work to do."

"Right," Kairi nodded, though her smile became somewhat bashful as she looked away. "Um… speaking of which, do you have any idea what Sora's up to now? Or how he's doing?"

"Well, him, Donald, and Goofy are out searching the worlds for the thirteen Keys to Kingdom Hearts so we can get them before Xehanort does," Riku explained. "As for how he's doing…" Now it was his turn to avert Kairi's questioning gaze as he briefly considered showing her the message Sora had left for him, though he very quickly decided against it. After all, for all he knew, he could have very well been worrying over nothing; there was no need to cause Kairi such worry too, especially when she should have been focusing on her training instead. "He's fine. Same old Sora as always."

Warmed by this assurance, Kairi let out another small, bright laugh. "That's good to hear. Maybe one day soon, the three of us will finally get a chance to all be together in the same place at the same time for a change."

"I'll be looking forward to that," Riku said, lingering in the doorframe as Mickey had already mostly headed out. "In fact, I have a feeling it'll happen before you know it."

"So do I," Kairi said, waving him off with a fond smile as Riku stepped out, leaving her and Lea to their training once more.

Just outside of the wizard's house, Riku and Mickey took a moment to regroup, the easiest part of their mission in Radiant Garden now complete, giving way to a much more open-ended task instead: looking for clues on Aqua's disappearance. "Alright," the king began, more than resolved to finally bring his longtime friend back to the realm of light once more. "So Master Yen Sid said we should follow Aqua's journey to see if we can find any clues about where she might be now. So what better place to start than where she fell into the Realm of Darkness in the first place?"

"That really happened here?" Riku asked, glancing around the now shining city in slight disbelief. "Do you know where exactly? And how?"

"Where, yes," Mickey nodded, beginning to lead the way. "As for how… I only really know _some _of what happened that day. Aqua didn't really have much of a chance to explain everything when I saw her in the Realm of Darkness awhile back."

"Right…" Riku mused before a sudden idea struck him. "Wait. What if _we _try to get into the Realm of Darkness from the same place Aqua fell into it from? Maybe that might be able to lead us to where she is down there now!"

"Hm… I like the idea, but I doubt it would work…" Mickey frowned as they rounded the next corner. "Especially since _this _is the place."

Riku immediately understood the king's doubts upon taking in the serene courtyard ahead of them. Much like all of Radiant Garden's restored infrastructure, it was a lovely sight, lined with fresh-cut cobblestone and flanked by blooming flower beds on all sides. By all accounts, it hardly seemed like the sort of place where any sort of gateway into the deepest darkness could be opened at all, much less now, given just how bright and peaceful it seemed to be.

"So… she fell in here?" Riku asked, thoughtfully skimming over the area. "After diving into the darkness to save Terra, right?"

"Yeah, she said he was acting strange," Mickey recalled.

"Strange… how exactly?"

"She sensed darkness in him," the king said worriedly. "And they ended up getting into a big fight."

"And in the aftermath, the two of them disappeared," Riku surmised, trying to put all of the scattered pieces of this puzzle together. Shortly before their brief visit with Kairi and Lea, the very first thing Riku and Mickey had done upon arriving in Radiant Garden was check in with the authority of the world to see if they could glean any more details. Since Ansem the Wise was supposedly no more, that knowledge fell to his former apprentices, specifically to Ienzo, Dilan, and Aeleus, who all offered up all that they knew on the strange events that had transpired in the city well over a decade ago. Their intel wasn't exactly substantial, but was still enough to add onto the timeline that Riku and the king were working to build. "So around the same time," Riku continued, remembering the rather ominous information the trio had told them. "The guards found a stranger with white hair lying unconscious here in the square—a man calling himself 'Xehanort'."

"That's right," Mickey nodded grimly. "Ansem the Wise took the stranger in, but that was a mistake. 'Xehanort' betrayed his master, stole his research, and along with his fellow apprentices, separated his heart from his body." From there, the rest of the twisted tale was quite well known to both members of the pair, but even so, the king relayed it anyway. "Xehanort's heart took his master's name, Ansem, and traveled to the past to give his younger self instructions. He even briefly had control of you."

"Don't remind me…" Riku muttered, still bearing at least some of the shame of his foolish fall into the darkness, even that was something he had far since moved past by now.

"S-sorry," Mickey apologized somewhat awkwardly before hurrying to continue the story. "Anyway, Xehanort's empty body stayed in the present, took the name Xemnas, and founded Organization XIII. Their goal was to prepare thirteen vessels for Xehanort's heart, that is, until we put an end to the Organization."

"But all the while," Riku picked things up where the king had left off. "Young Xehanort had been visiting the future to choose thirteen vessels of his own—hearts with strong enough ties to him to begin a new Organization, the _real _Organization XIII. And now they're looking to pick a fight with us. But… none of that explains what happened to Terra. I thought you said Aqua saved him."

The king's expression hardened at this, almost as if he had reached a realization that he hadn't really accounted for until now. Which, by all accounts, he had, given the mostly full picture they had finally put together. In fact, the final piece to make it complete was only now within reach, as bitter of a truth as it actually was. "She did. The problem is, we didn't notice. You remember the end of the Mark of Mastery exam, when Master Xehanort made his grand return? _That's _the Xehanort I remember. He was already a pretty old man then. But how do you explain Ansem and Xemnas, his Heartless and Nobody? Isn't it strange how young they look? Why aren't _they _old men? Its because Xehanort was using a _different _body when the split happened. I _saw _the 'Xehanort' Ansem the Wise had taken in once, and I didn't know back then, but now, I do; he _wasn't _just some stranger Ansem had taken under his wing. It was the young man whose body Master Xehanort possessed! The very same body the guards found lying right here in this spot twelve years ago."

"No way!" Riku gasped, absolutely shocked by the implications behind what Mickey had just revealed. "That… that was _Terra_?! Master Xehanort was using Terra this whole time?"

Mickey nodded, his expression still forlorn in the dreadful thought. "Master Xehanort _did _tell us 'another on our list' belonged to him. Looks like he was talking about Terra. Turns out, Aqua saved more than just her friend that day."

"Ok, but… Master Xehanort is an old man again now," Riku noted, still quite baffled by how it all was coming together. "Where did Terra's body go?"

"Hm… I'm not—wait!" the king gasped, another realization hitting him. "Master Xehanort's collecting vessels now! He claimed to have two of our seven lights; we got Sora back, but Terra must still be on Xehanort's side, unable to break free or fight back!"

"And until he can, he's with Organization XIII…" Riku finished, clearly disappointed in the thought that one of the longtime missing wielders was lost to such a sinister fate. "Well, at the very least, now we know we should be on the lookout for him. We should let Sora know."

"Gosh, looks like we'll have a perfect chance to right now!" Mickey perked up a bit upon catching onto the sound of Riku's Gummiphone ringing first. The new master fished the phone out of his pocket, and sure enough, he was met with a call from Sora, who, not too surprisingly, was already wrapped up in some sort of argument with his companions.

"_-don't need to tell him about it!" _the first part of whatever Sora was trying to say was unclear, but sure enough, the Keybearer seemed quite frustrated by his tone alone. _"Like I keep telling you guys, it's _gone _now, which means we don't need to keep worrying about it!" _

"_Well, if it really _is _gone," _Donald countered just as impatiently. _"Then why won't you prove it by _showing _us_?"

"Show what?" Riku finally interjected before Sora could fire back another heated retort.

"_R-Riku!" _Sora gasped, startled as he looked back to his own screen. _"Uh… n-nothing! It's nothing! Just a-"_

"_Just a _really _big scar Young Xehanort tore up right across Sora's chest," _Goofy informed succinctly and knowingly.

"_Hey!" _Sora exclaimed, flustered as he pulled his jacket tighter around himself. Just in case.

"What?!" Riku balked, exchanging an immensely concerned glance with Mickey. "Sora, what happened? Are you all right? What did he-"

"_Whoa, hey, relax! I'm fine!" _Sora quickly assured, even if there was the slightest hint of some unknown sort of panic in his eyes. _"It was just a little… battle damage, is all. Nothing too serious, didn't even hurt! And the best part is, its completely gone now, like it was never there in the first place!"_

"_Which I'm not buying!" _Donald huffed, exasperated. _"Wounds like that _don't _just heal all by themselves!"_

"_Well _this one _did," _Sora argued firmly. _"So we _don't _have to keep harping on about it anymore. Sorry to waste your time, you guys," _he said to Riku and Mickey. _"I kept _trying _to tell them that you two are way too busy for dumb stuff like this-"_

"_But since he won't listen to _us-_" _Donald interupted, shooting the Keybearer an annoyed glare.

"_We figured he'd listen to the two of you for sure!" _Goofy chuckled, as amused by his companions' usual bickering as always.

"Well, actually, we're glad you called," Mickey said with a grin. "We were just about to call you fellas, but it looks like you beat us to the punch. But first, how's the search for the thirteen Keys going?"

Sora finally cracked a proud grin at this, holding a hand forward to summon the Key they had just claimed from the world they'd recently departed. _"Oh, I dunno, I'd say its going pretty good so far."_

"You actually got one?" Riku asked, genuinely amazed.

"_What do you mean, 'actually'?" _Sora raised an eyebrow as he let the Key disappear. _"What, did you think we _wouldn't _be able to find any?"_

"W-well, no," the new master smirked somewhat. "I just thought it'd take a little longer for you three to get on the right track. I have to admit, I'm impressed."

"_Hey!" _Sora, Donald, and Goofy alike exclaimed in faux offense at this, though they ultimately brushed it off with a bout of good humor all the same.

"Anyway_, we're still on the hunt for the next one," _Sora explained. _"Though things would be a _lot _easier if the Organization would just leave us alone already. Not to mention Maleficent and Pete." _The Keybearer paused for a beat, seemingly realizing something before addressing his companions in particular with an entirely new concern. _"Say, you don't think _they're _going after the Keys too, do you?"_

"_No, they definitely said a 'black box'," _Goofy pointed out.

"Maleficent's going after a black box?" Riku asked, instantly suspicious. "What's that all about?"

"_Good question! We… honestly have no idea," _Sora shrugged. _"But we haven't seen them since Olympus so maybe its nothing worth worrying about."_

"Hm. Well, you should still keep a careful eye out for them all the same," Riku warned, knowing just how crafty Maleficent in particular could be. "Same goes for the Organization."

"As a matter of fact," Mickey added. "There's something you guys should know about one of their members. Now, this might be pretty hard to believe, but one of Xehanort's vessels is actually… Terra."

"_What?!" _all three on the other end of the line gasped, mutually dumbfounded by such a baffling claim.

"_What do you mean Terra's on their side?" _Sora asked, shaking his head in disbelief. _"How's that even possible?"_

"It's a… really long story," Riku sighed. "The short version of it is that Xehanort took over Terra's heart and body and has been using him to do his bidding ever since."

Sora's incredulous expression seemed to wither into something Riku found to be rather unreadable, his eyes wide as he drew a hand close to his heart. _"H-he… he took over his…" _the Keybearer trailed off, shaking his head as if to clear it before speaking up, his tone intensely earnest. _"W-well, there's gotta be some way to set him free, right?"_

"We're… not sure…" Mickey admitted. "I think the best place to start is to find him first, then go from there. In fact, the same goes for our search for Aqua too, Riku."

Riku nodded, though really, he had only half listened to what the king had said as he instead kept his focus on Sora, noticing the briefest hints of anxiety and what almost seemed to be dread sparking up in his expression. "Yeah," the new master said to his companion distantly before looking back to his friend on the other line. "Um… Hey, Sora? Do you mind if I have quick word with you? Alone?"

Mickey was quick to nod his agreement to this general request, as were both Donald and Goofy, even if Sora himself was clearly caught off guard by it. _"Oh, uh, y-yeah, of course,_" he complied, getting up from his seat to head below the Gummi Ship's deck. _"So… what's up?" _he asked as soon as he was out of his companion's earshot.

Riku hesitated after he stepped away from the king to get a bit of privacy himself. In theory, what he wanted to ask the Keybearer about was hardly anything too difficult, though given what he'd just heard about a supposed scar, inflicted upon Sora by none other than Young Xehanort himself, he couldn't help but have more than a few misgivings. "I need you to be honest with me, Sora," Riku began, his tone and expression both quite serious. "What _really _happened with that scar Young Xehanort gave you?"

Sora flinched, something that Riku noticed just as much as he did the way the Keybearer looked down anxiously. _"Aw, c-c'mon, I already told you, Riku," _he said with something of a forced laugh. _"It was nothing. All that happened was that Donald's magic made us look different in the last world we went to—happens all the time—and I got a little beaten up while were there and when we left and went back to normal, the scar was gone. Still is, see?" _To prove his point, the Keybearer pulled down the collar of his shirt just a little, clearly not enough to show very much of his chest at all, though what it did show revealed no apparent damage. And for the most part, this show was enough to placate Riku. Mostly.

"Hm… all right," the new master closed his eyes thoughtfully. "But remember what we talked about; if you ever feel like something isn't right, then-"

"_Then you need to be the first to know, I _know_," _Sora practically groaned, rolling his eyes. _"I swear, you're almost as bad as Donald and Goofy when it comes to worrying _way _too much about me."_

"I mean, can you really blame me?" Riku finally cracked a small smile. "Its not like you make it very easy to _not _worry about you."

Though the new master had expected the Keybearer to share his levity in this remark, he oddly didn't, instead looking away with what almost looked like a begrudging scowl. _"You don't have to babysit me, you know," _he said, clearly disgruntled. _"None of you guys do. I can take care of myself just fine. You really think I would have lasted this long if I couldn't?"_

"You know that's not what I meant, Sora," Riku shook his head, surprised at the relative bitterness in his friend's tone. Bitterness that was so rarely ever there in the first place. "I was just trying to-"

"_Yeah, I _know _what you were 'trying' to do_," Sora nearly deadpanned, still clearly annoyed. _"But maybe instead of doing _that_, why don't you get back to all of your _super _important Keyblade Master business while I get back to keeping an eye on myself so _you _won't have to, ok?"_

"Sora, wait, I just-" Riku didn't get a chance to finish as Sora abruptly ended the conversation, hanging up his end of the line without so much as even offering any sort of goodbye. The new master instantly let out a disappointed sigh as his Gummiphone's screen went black, his old worries still persisting, only this time there were coupled with slight guilt as well.

In many ways, Sora's apparent frustration with being coddled and underestimated on so many different accounts made sense. After all, Riku knew likely better than anyone else just how much the Keybearer _didn't _like to be held back or restrained. But really, that wasn't at all what the new master had been trying to do, and he doubted that's what Donald and Goofy were doing with Sora either by carrying such concerns towards him. After all, the Keybearer had only very recently faced far too close of a call against Xehanort and the Organization, one that could have very well taken every part of him away from them forever. Perhaps, in many ways, there were all still on edge from such a harrowing near-disaster. And yet, their unanimous concerns clearly weren't something Sora himself shared, which very likely explained why he was obviously feeling so stifled by them in the first place. It all made sense, Riku knew, and maybe he had been a bit tactless with his usual good-natured teasing, which had certainly been the thing to set the Keybearer off in the first place.

But even so, he still couldn't help but feel that something else was off all the same.

Mickey easily took notice of his companion's fretful expression as Riku walked back over to him, solemnly putting his phone away. "Is everything ok, Riku?" the king asked, concerned.

"Yeah, everything's… everything's fine," the new master nodded, practically echoing the Keybearer's hasty answers, even if Riku didn't himself believe them. "I just wanted to tell Sora to be careful out there. After all, we never know what the Organization might try next."

"You've got that right," Mickey readily agreed. "But for now, we already gave the vestments to Kairi and Lea, and it doesn't look like we'll be getting to many other clues out here. Let's try stopping by Ansem the Wise's study. Some of his leftover research might be able to help our search for Aqua!"

"Right," Riku agreed to this plan of action, following after the king as he took lead to the nearby castle. Yet even as he did, he stopped short, for just the slightest second, upon the urge to pull out his Gummiphone and call Sora back in an attempt to set things right between them. An attempt that he ultimately decided to put off, at least for now. After all, he knew for a fact that the Keybearer was never able to stay angry for too long; certainly it wouldn't too much time for him to come around and for the two of them to smooth things out, just as they always managed to do. And in the meantime, Riku resolved himself back to their original mission once again: to chase the shadows that would led them to Aqua, and to bring her back from the Realm of Darkness in the hopes that her rescue would led them to many more.

* * *

The Keyblade Graveyard was a vast, desolate place, as hallow and dead as the countless lifeless Keyblades that marked the dried earth for as far as the eye could see. Such a lonely, haunted place hosted no life or vibrance, at least not anymore, not since the decisive, calamitous battle that had taken place upon its broken ground well over a decade ago. And in the wake of that devastating battle, only one sole thing had remained, almost as if it were a monument to the great losses suffered by the light that fateful day.

It knelt, silent and still as ever, Keyblade dug deep into the brittle ground as it dutifully maintained its lonely vigil. Its cape only lightly rustled in the arid breeze that lofted through the graveyard, the only sound that could be heard for miles as it sat alone and unmoving, just as it had for nearly 12 years now.

Of course, its nearly-statuesque existence hadn't gone completely uninterrupted that entire time. An intrepid trio had ventured upon the wastes quite some time ago, and in the only bit of action it had seen in quite some time, it had been dealt a solid, yet honorable defeat at their hands. And yet, in the heart of one of their members, it had felt a spark, familiar, warm, yet _sleeping_ deep within, unable to come to the surface at all.

_Much like himself, he supposed. _

It hadn't been too long after that that it had first heard the witch's call. A girl explaining all too well the memories that kept it bound to this form and another, a true body, _his _body, not the empty metallic husk it existed as now. And upon her call, it had been reminded exactly why it had fought back, why it still remained and persisted, even after his heart and body had been stolen away.

_For _them_. He did it all for _them_. _

And so it would until it found them, until it could finally take back what rightfully belong to him. His heart had been weak when it had fallen into the darkness, but his will, it was _strong_. It lingered, remained steady and waiting until the day it could finally take that chance, could avenge itself and its friends.

_Could finally bring them all together again. _

And yet… that day seemed so far off on every account. His body and heart were still ensnared by darkness, its own connection to the lights that had kept it alive frail and fading. And without their lights to guide it, what more could it really do, other than remain, still and stagnant and empty as ever, only waiting, waiting… always waiting?

_Until… _

Its head snapped up at the slightest sign of a shift, one that it felt ripple through its entire hallow form. It was as though the winds had changed, however slightly, but they had changed all the same, and it could sense it. It _knew_. However small and subtle it might have been, the chains keeping his heart and mind in the master's wicked thrall…

_Were _loosening.

If it had been capable of emotions, it would have been amazed, baffled, shocked even. For 12 years straight, those chains had kept everything else that had made him who he was under the strictest of restraints, never once letting any part of who he used to be shine through. But now… this was something entirely different, entirely new. There still wasn't enough room for him to return to himself, that much was obvious, but it could feel the master's focus steadily starting to drift away from his current vessel…

_And to a completely different one instead. _

Briefly, it wondered what poor fool was so unfortunate to share the same fate he had met, to catch the master's attention in a way that it would ultimately end up dooming them, just as it had him before. And yet, those wonderings were all too quickly silenced as a realization, strong yet bright and hopeful dawned upon it.

What if there was a possibility, however small and however slim, that the chains were loosening enough to give him exactly the sort of chance he had been looking for?

_The chance to finally take back what rightfully belonged to him?_

It was exactly the sort of chance it had been waiting for all these empty, quiet years alone. And even as stark and fleeting as it was, it wasn't a chance it was about to pass up so easily. Its armored body creaked from a lack of use as it slowly rose to stand, the dry soil surrounding its Keyblade crumbling as he slowly lifted it out of its longtime resting ground. It had been so very long since it had felt anything really, all form of emotion and personality stripped away from it the very same moment his heart and body had been taken too. And yet, what he lacked in those areas, it made up for in memories. And if nothing else, it _remembered _that burning sense of justice, that determined resolve, that strong sense of purpose to fight back and go on.

_Even when it may have seemed impossible. _

Yet even despite that purpose, it knew it couldn't do it alone. Its metallic form was sturdy, its Keyblade a powerful weapon for sure. But with the unforgiving iron grip the master held over every other surviving part of him, it would certainly be hard pressed to reclaim them alone. It knew it needed those two lights, dim and fading but still bright and close as ever in the realm of its memories, to guide it, to stand by its side and support it.

_To bring him back home, all three of them home, at long, long last. _

And perhaps, if they weren't going to come to it, perhaps it was finally time for _it _to go to them. Wherever they were.

It seemed like ages since the last time it had summoned its Keyblade Glider, but the weapon shifted forms just as easily as ever. Yet even so, it had never once left the graveyard since both his body and heart had departed it; it'd never had any reason to until now. In all honestly, it wasn't even sure if it still possessed the power to open a gateway up to the Lanes Between at all. But despite that concern, it knew it had to try all the same.

_After all, anything was worth it to find them. _

With a bit of focus and perhaps a bit of luck, the gateway it had been hoping for appeared, swirling with the promising potential of the mission it was about to embark on. As it mounted its Keyblade Glider however, it took a moment to pause, taking stock of where it might be able to sense those two lost lights. One of them had all but disappeared into the darkness, distant and obscured in another realm entirely.

"_Aqua…" _it said, its voice empty and devoid of any feeling, though somehow, a sense of longing flew upon it all the same. It could easily tell that, wherever she was, it wouldn't have much luck finding her, at least not right now. But as for the other light…

"_Ven…?" _Its head tilted slightly towards the sky, remembering the last time it had felt his heart, buried deep in sleep within the heart of another. Within the heart of that young Keyblade wielder who had come to challenge it that day, whose surprising might had bested even its own. It wasn't an exceptional lead to go off of, but at the very least it was _something_. If it found that young wielder, then perhaps, it might lead it to _him _as well.

And so, it bowed its head once more, reaffirming the promise it had made to them the day their friendship, their _family _had been so brutally, unfairly torn apart. _"Finally…" _it said, preparing to venture into the unknown for the first, and hopefully, the last time. _"Its time to set this right…"_

* * *

**Heyoooo! Now we got the Lingering Will in all this? Well that oughta make things... interesting moving forward (I swear, this story has so many moving parts already, I just gotta go and make things even more complicated for myself, don't I?) Either way, I'm eager to hear what ya'll thought of this, so lemme know in the REVIEWS! Next time around, we'll be goin... _up _a bit for our next Disney world (obvious hint is obvious lol). Until next time! **


	15. Chapter 14: Paradise Found

_Well I wrote this chapter way faster than I thought I would. Mostly cause I'm a sucker for character interactions and that's basically what this chapter is, whoops, not a ton of action here, I'm saving that for the second half of this world. So this sorta makes this quite a bit of setup here, but its still really fun setup all the same, based on a movie I really, really love, so I hope you all will like this too! Enjoy!_

* * *

_Chapter 14: Paradise Found_

_Adventure is out there  
Its heading our way  
So grab your scarf and goggles  
Let's fly!_

A heavy blanket of mist hung low and dense over the vast, rocky landscapes, obscuring light and clarity, even in the otherwise broad light of day. Unlike the lush, surrounding rainforest, teeming with life and vibrance and a cacophony of sounds, this stony maze was silent, wrapped in mystery just as much as it was in indivisible fog. And yet, that silence was soon broken, by the rushing din of a hectic, frantic chase.

Or rather, by a group of fierce hunters relentlessly pursuing their ever-crafty prey.

Said prey's speed was incredible as it practically flew across the rocky ground, breaking into the nearby forest without any sign of slowing. Undaunted, the hunters followed after it, willing to track it down for as far and as long as they had to in order to catch their elusive prize. Even so, their prey was clever, faster than any of the many traps that had been set across the jungle for it, from cages, to nets, to hair-trigger blow darts. It ran past them all, never tripping up even once, until it finally ran into a surprisingly natural trap it couldn't escape from so easily: a dead end.

The bird stumbled to a stop as it reached a small clearing, tall, impassible rocks barring its path forward on all sides. Thinking quickly, it turned to retreat in the opposite direction, only for its hunters to cut off its backpedaling retreat instead.

Each of the dogs were viciously snarling as they stepped out into the light, their teeth barred as they crouched low, ready to spring at the bird at a moment's notice. The lights on their collars flashed bright red, clearly setting the startled bird off even more. And yet, even though the odds were clearly stacked against it, it somehow managed to outsmart the canines yet again, just as it always did. For with one single, magnificent move, the mighty creature preformed an agile leap clear over the dogs' heads, deftly landing before escaping in a flash. The dogs were more than ready to follow suit after it once more, refusing to give up so easily, and yet, before they could, something suddenly stopped them starkly in their tracks. A loud, high pitched whining noise, one that instantly pierced their sensitive ears, stunning them in the process. The canines winced in pain, their focus broken as they mutually whimpered and scrambled, all in an attempt to spare themselves from the unsavory squeal, even if it meant letting the bird get away once more.

However, what the dogs didn't see as they hurried away was that the source of this noise was passing by just a few feet away, under the cover of a colorful collection of countless balloons.

* * *

"Look, I'm just saying, a huge x-shaped scar just disappearing out of nowhere _isn't _totally out of the question," Sora explained to his companions, his manner calm and casual as he hung his hands behind his head as they walked along. "After all, its not like we haven't seen a _lot _weirder things than that happen to us before, right?"

"Hmph! It'd be a lot _less _weird if you actually _did _show us that the scar really _was _gone!" Donald huffed, clearly disgruntled by the Keybearer's continued stubbornness on the matter.

"Shucks, I still think the fact that it up and disappeared on its own would still make it pretty weird…" Goofy noted, trying his best to alleviate the ongoing friction with a small chuckle.

"Why can't you guys just take my word for it already?" Sora groaned, exasperated. "What, you don't trust me?"

"No," Donald said bluntly.

"Aw, we _do _trust ya, Sora," Goofy countered much more good-naturedly. "We just wanna make sure you're not hurt anymore! It's like Donald said; its our job to keep an eye on you. And even if it wasn't, we still would anyway 'cause we care about you! Don't we, Donald?"

The magician hesitated to reply to this, instead maintaining his dry, bitter expression for as long as he could, until it finally inevitably broke a bit under the scrutinizing gaze of his companions. "Yeah, yeah," he finally grumbled, averting Sora's gaze in particular. "Sure we do. More than we should considering all the headaches you like to cause us."

Sora finally cracked a small smile at this, sensing the genuine meaning behind Donald's otherwise sarcastic words. That, paired with Goofy's unhidden thoughtful sentiments, was almost, _almost _enough to finally get the Keybearer to comply with their wishes, to show them what they'd been asking to see ever since they'd left the previous world. Yet ultimately, he was quick to stop himself before he could, knowing all too well exactly what they'd see if he did. And given just how much they had been pressing him on the matter as it was, he could only imagine how they'd both react to finally figuring out the truth he was being so careful to try to hide.

So instead, Sora let out a small sigh, offering his companions a reassuring smile as he finally turned around to face them. "I'm glad you guys care so much about me," he said warmly, earnestly. "But the scar really _is _gone. I'm fine."

"You promise?" Donald asked, still clearly doubtful.

"I promise," the Keybearer nodded firmly, more than relieved to finally be leaving the touchy matter behind. "Now, we really _should _get looking for the next Key around here, don'tcha think?"

"A Key? Here?" Donald asked, incredulous as he glanced around the dense rainforest they had been venturing through ever since they'd arrived in this new world. "What makes you think we'll find one in a world like this?"

"Yeah, there doesn't seem to be much here aside from trees 'n… well, more trees!" Goofy pointed out.

"Mm… no, there's definitely one here," Sora countered as he pressed on ahead.

"Wha—How do _you _know?!" the magician demanded, suspicious.

"It's like I said last time," the Keybearer explained. "It just sorta… _feels _like there's one here."

"Gawrsh, what's that 'feel' like exactly?" Goofy scratched his head, confused.

"It feels like…" Sora trailed off, giving himself a moment to think. "I dunno, some sort of instinct or something? That's the right word, isn't it?"

"An instinct?" Donald raised an eyebrow. "You're telling us you have some special 'instinct' that tells you where these Keys are supposed to be?"

"Hey, I found the last one, didn't I?" the Keybearer countered defensively. "Besides, its not like we really have much else to go on here. So if my 'Keys Instinct' is the only lead we've got, then we might as well follow it!"

"Keys Instinct it is!" Goofy chuckled, readily on board with this plan.

"We're _not _calling it that," Donald scowled, annoyed.

Even so, the trio continued on through the jungle, not spotting much of anything, Key or otherwise, amidst the lush, tropical foliage flanking them on all sides. However, the rainforest was hardly inescapable, for soon enough, they spotted a break in the vast tree line, one that led them to a sight far beyond anything they had been expecting.

"Whoa…" Sora gasped, awestruck as he stepped out of the forest first, absolutely captivated by the incredible landscape stretched out ahead of them. Likewise, Donald and Goofy were equally amazed as all three of them unanimously decided to spare a moment to stop and take it all in.

A grand, deep valley lay far below the elevated collection of mesas the trio was apparently standing on, green and sprawling with unknown wildlife for as far as the eye could see under the deep, cloudless blue skies above. But what was even more spectacular was what awaited at the far end of the flattened rise: an immense, towering waterfall, rushing grand and wide as it flowed beautifully into the winding river it fed miles below its source. It was picturesque to say the least, a pristine natural wonder in every single sense, to the point that it almost felt like a unique kind of paradise all its own.

"Golly…" Goofy muttered, still completely astonished. "This place is _amazin'_…"

"You can say that again…" Donald agreed, though his amazement was immediately interrupted by a distinctive camera shutter's snap beside him. "Hey! What do you think you're doing?!"

"What?" Sora asked, glancing away from his Gummiphone, though not before snapping another quick picture of the falls. "I wanna send a photo to Riku!"

"But I thought you said you were kinda mad at Riku…" Goofy noted with a frown.

"W-well, I _was_," Sora shrugged, positioning himself to get in on his own picture. "But that doesn't mean I'll stay mad at him forever. Plus I also wanna show this place to Kairi next time I see her. She'd absolutely love it!"

"You'd better not be on that phone the entire time we're here," Donald chastised as they headed back into the jungle. "We have important work to do. No distractions!"

"Aw, c'mon," Sora rolled his eyes, even as he continued eagerly tapping away at his phone. "It's not a distraction, its-" The Keybearer was instantly interrupted as the Gummiphone was suddenly snatched right out of his hands seemingly out of nowhere. "Wha—hey! Donald! I was just about to put it away! You didn't have to just yank it out of my hands like that!"

"What are you talking about?" the magician asked, bewildered. "I didn't take your silly phone!"

"Huh?" Sora frowned, confused as he turned to his other companion. "Goofy?"

"Nope," the captain shook his head. "I don't have it either."

"Well then who-" The Keybearer stopped short once again, this time thanks to the rather loud, telling squawk that happened to ring out from just behind the trio. Startled, they all turned to finally see exactly who the phone-stealing culprit was: a bird.

However, this creature was far from any average-looking bird. Rather, it was huge, to say the least, towering over Sora, Donald, and Goofy alike thanks to its long legs, body, and neck. The bird was decked out in a vast array of vibrant, colorful feathers, topped with a bit of unique plumage on its head. And, resting squarely between its long orange beak was none other than the Gummiphone.

Confronted by such an odd animal, the trio exchanged a brief glance, unsure of what to really do. The bird didn't seem to be dangerous as it simply stood, holding onto the Gummiphone as it looked around the area it its wide, curious eyes. But even so, Sora made sure to approach it carefully as he made an initial attempt at getting it back.

"Uh, hey there, big guy," he greeted with an amiable smile, trying his best to keep his voice low as not to startle the bird. "You don't mind giving me my phone back, do you? I kind of need-" Just as the Keybearer took another step forward, the bird's attention darted elsewhere, almost as if it had been alerted to the presence of something else nearby. And, without sparing the trio before it any sort of second glance, it immediately ran off, taking the Gummiphone right along with it. "W-wait!" Sora called, already making a meager attempt at chasing after the creature, though it was by far faster than he was. "Come back!"

"Well, gee, it looks like we won't have to worry about the Gummiphone distracting you anymore, huh, Sora?" Goofy asked with a bit of a chuckle, one that the Keybearer absolutely did not join in on.

"We gotta get it back!" he exclaimed, distraught as he ran off in the direction the bird had went. "Come on!"

Neither Donald nor Goofy argued, but instead joined Sora in the chase after the colorful creature. Given its intense speed, it was hard to keep track of where the bird hard really gone off to, but even so, the trio pressed on through the trees in search of it all the same. Still, it didn't take them long to lose its trail entirely, and with it, just about all sense of where they were in the jungle altogether as they paused to take a much-needed break.

"W-where… where could that bird be?" Sora asked, rather breathless as he leaned against a tree to recoup.

"Hmph, looks like it's gone," Donald concluded unsympathetically. "Which means no more wasting time sending pictures to Riku and Kairi."

"H-hey!" Sora exclaimed, flustered. "That wasn't _all _I used the phone for… I also, um… uh… hm…"

"Say, fellas," Goofy interjected, his attention focused on a break in the canopy of trees overhead. "Have either of you ever seen balloons in a jungle before?"

"Balloons?" both Sora and Donald asked in confused unison. The captain responded by pointing upwards past the trees, to where, sure enough, a vast array of colorful balloons was poking through, floating clustered together somewhere just ahead of their position.

"Whoa… I wonder what's up with that…" Sora said, stepping forward as he kept a curious eye on the balloons. "We should go check it out!"

"What about your phone?" Donald asked with a knowing grin.

"Mm… well, maybe we'll find it along the way!" the Keybearer assured, clearly hopeful that they would as he took the lead once again. Since the balloons were apparently rather close by, it was clear they wouldn't really have too far to go, however, they were soon stopped short upon hearing an all-too familiar coo coming from a clearing nearby.

"The bird!" all three of them exclaimed, though they were quick to drop their voices and carry an air of stealth as they crept towards the clearing. However, what they found just past the thicket of trees before them was even more bewildering than the discovery of the bird itself had been.

Speaking of the bird, sure enough they had found it, though it was clear they weren't the only ones to do so. For standing right in front of the much taller creature was a young boy, clad in some sort of bright yellow uniform, one that was decked out with a sash laden with countless different badges. The boy was clearly caught off guard by the trio's sudden arrival as he looked to them in surprise, though he still held onto the chocolate bar he was offering to the bird all the same. Still, his surprise didn't last too long as he soon broke into a friendly smile instead.

"Oh, hello!" the boy greeted the trio brightly. "Are you guys looking for a snipe too?" he nodded to the bird as it stole a small nibble off his chocolate bar.

"Um… maybe…?" Sora ventured, even if he wasn't entirely sure what a 'snipe' was. "Is that what that bird is?"

"Hm…" the boy frowned thoughtfully. "Well, Mr. Fredrickson said snipes are supposed to be birds, but… he didn't really say what they're supposed to look like so… yeah, I think he's a snipe!"

"Well, then, yeah," the Keybearer smiled, allayed. "I guess we're looking for a snipe too. You didn't happen to see him drop a phone around here, did you?"

"Oh, you mean this?" the boy reached into his large backpack, and, much to the trio's shared relief, pulled out the relatively undamaged Gummiphone.

"Yes, that's it!" Sora nodded excitedly as the boy began to hand it over to him. "Thanks so-" Before the Keybearer could even finish, the bird suddenly reached in, swiping the Gummiphone into its beak once more and keeping its reclaimed prize high out of anyone's reach. "Aw, not again!" Sora huffed, thoroughly annoyed at this point.

"Hey! Stealing isn't very nice!" the boy chastised the bird, wagging a disapproving finger at it. He paused to think for a moment, however, before coming up with a quick idea that, once again, involved his chocolate bar. "Here, boy! I'll give you some more chocolate if you put the phone down!"

The bird instantly perked up at such an offer and complied, outright spitting the Gummiphone out in Sora's direction to partake in yet another bite of the sweet snack. Inevitably, the phone ended up hitting the Keybearer on the side of his head, eliciting an amused laugh from his companions, though fortunately it somehow landed in his hands all the same. "Yeesh…" Sora muttered, rubbing the sore spot on his head. "Who knew having a phone would be so much trouble? Still, thanks for the help," he said to the boy with a genuine smile as he knelt down to his level. "I'm Sora, by the way."

"I'm Donald!" the magician chimed in.

"And I'm Goofy," the captain finished off with a friendly wave.

"My name is Russell," the boy introduced himself, quickly pulling what looked to be a small guidebook out of his pack. "And I am a Wilderness Explorer in Tribe 54, Sweatlodge 12. That means I am a friend to all of nature, like this snipe here!"

"Oh, cool!" Sora grinned, though it soon fell a bit into slight concern. "But, uh… what are you doing out here in the jungle all by yourself, Russell?"

"Oh, I'm not by myself," Russell shook his head. "I'm with Mr. Frederickson! I'm assisting him with walking his flying house over to Paradise Falls!"

"Flying house?!" Sora, Donald, and Goofy all exclaimed in equally baffled unison.

"Come on, I'll show you!" Russell exclaimed, encouraging the trio to follow him as he headed back into the jungle. "Mr. Fredrickson will be so excited to meet you. He really likes being around other people!"

Upon a shared, curious glance, the trio decided to trail after the young Wilderness Explorer, with the so-called 'snipe' not too far behind. It didn't take them very long at all to cut a short path through the forest, eventually making it to the very flying house Russell had told them about.

And what a flying house it was. The trio paused, awestruck as they looked up to the simple, yet elegant double-level home, impossibly suspended in midair by the very plethora of balloons they had spotted earlier, each of them as vibrantly colorful as the house itself was. Keeping the house anchored from flying away altogether was a garden hose attached to it, currently tied to a low-bearing branch of a larger tree. And, checking over that makeshift harness was, surprisingly enough, a short, squarish elderly man; 'Mr. Fredrickson', no doubt.

"I found the snipe!" Russell announced as they arrived.

"Oh, did you?" Mr. Fredrickson asked dryly, his back turned to the group as he continued tending to the floating house.

"Are they tall?" Russell asked, glancing up at the towering bird beside him.

"Oh yes, they're very tall," the old man nodded, clearly just humoring the boy.

"Do they have a lot of colors?"

"They do indeed."

"Do they like chocolate?"

"Oh, ye—chocolate?" Mr. Fredrickson finally turned, instantly letting out a frightened cry the moment he caught sight of the massive creature. "W-what is that thing?! A-and who are those three?!" he demanded, pointing towards the equally startled trio.

"It's a snipe!" Russell grinned proudly. "And these are my new friends!"

"There's no such thing as a snipe!" the old man countered, pulling the boy away from both the bird and the trio. "A-and as for you three! Where'd you come from!? Nobody's supposed to be out here!"

"But what about us, Mr. Fredrickson?" Russell inquired innocently.

"Wha—T-that's different," Mr. Fredrickson countered dismissively before addressing the trio once more. "What, are you three gonna tell me you came down here in a flying house too?"

"No," Sora corrected. "We came here in a Gummi shi-"

"_Order_!" Donald reminded sharply and succinctly.

"Oh, right!' the Keybearer exclaimed. "We came in, uh… um… You know what? Let's just start over. My name's Sora, and this is Donald and Goofy. And we're here to-"

"Don't waste your breath, kid," Mr. Fredrickson starkly interrupted, scowling as he shook his head. "I don't care what _you're _here for. All I care about is getting my house to the falls, and the last thing I need is a traveling freak show or some… giant monster bird to get in my way. Dealing with Russell's enough of a handful as it is. Speaking of which, come on, Russell." Upon unstrapping the house's tether from the tree, he grabbed the young boy's arm to continue pulling both him and the flying home along. "We've still got a long way to go."

"Aw, but Mr. Fredrickson, wait!" Russell protested, trying his best to keep his feet planted to the ground.

"Yeah, wait," Sora agreed, taking a step forward. "This may be sort of a weird question, but do you know where we could find a, um… a special Key around here?"

"A key?" Mr. Fredrickson glanced over his shoulder incredulously at the trio. "Kid, what in the world are you on abou-"

A sudden panicked squawk from the bird instantly cut through the conversation, putting everyone on high alert as it rushed past them to cower behind Russell and Mr. Fredrickson. It didn't take anyone very long to see where the alarm was coming from, as a group of swiftly-moving, strangely dancing creatures materialized into existence right before their eyes, creatures that Sora, Donald, and Goofy recognized all too well.

"Nobodies!" Sora exclaimed warningly, immediately calling upon his Keyblade as Donald and Goofy took up similar battle stances.

"Oh, what now?" Mr. Fredrickson groaned, more exasperated than afraid of the approaching threat.

"T-those guys don't look friendly like Kevin is!" Russell noted worriedly.

"Wha—Kevin?" Mr. Fredrickson looked to the boy, confused.

"Yeah, that's the name I just gave him," Russell pointed back to the bird behind them, who proceeded to abruptly tap its beak against Mr. Fredrickson's head.

"Augh! Would you just beat it already!?" the old man fussed, waving his cane at the bothersome bird before turning to do the same to the crowd of Nobodies. "Same goes to the rest of you pests too!"

"Don't worry!" Sora called, more than ready for the tight ahead. "We'll take care of them!"

Neither Mr. Fredrickson nor Russell argued with this plan of action, instead opting to take cover behind the trio as they engaged the horde of Nobodies in a decisive battle. This particular strain was known for moving with grace and agility, making landing most direct hits on them a bit of a challenge. However, it was nothing the trio couldn't handle; rather, they cut through the Nobodies one by one, making sure none of them drew in too close to the group they were trying to protect. And sure enough, it didn't take too long for them to bring the last Nobody down, leaving everyone else unharmed, if not a bit shaken, from the encounter.

"Hmph! They just never quit, do they?" Donald huffed in aggravation as the threat finally died down.

"They're pretty persistent, ya gotta give them that," Goofy nodded with a small laugh.

"Are you guys ok?" Sora asked, turning back to Russell and Mr. Fredrickson.

"Yeah, yeah, we're fine," Mr. Fredrickson remarked with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Still… I've never heard of any sort of animals like those things before… Then again, I've never seen anything like _that _either." His expression grew even more dour as he looked over at Kevin, who was entertaining Russell by hoisting the boy up onto its back for a ride.

"Those weren't animals," Sora clarified. "They were Nobodies, and if they're here, then that means trouble's not too far behind."

"Yeah, like the Organization!" Goofy chimed in.

"And don't forget about Maleficent and Pete either," Donald reminded.

"Who?" Mr. Fredrickson asked, raising a confused eyebrow.

"Uh… let's just say they're all pretty bad news," Sora said, resolute. "Its not safe if any of them are around here, take it from us."

"Uh, yeah, I already kinda figured it wasn't safe here, kid," Mr. Fredrickson countered dryly. "We are in an uncharted, untamed jungle far away from any sort of civilization after all."

"Yeah, but those Nobodies will keep showing up," the Keybearer said. "Believe me, they _always _do. And if you're headed all the way to that waterfall, then you should let us go with you."

"To fight off the Nobodies!" Donald proclaimed daringly.

"And to make sure ya get there safely!" Goofy agreed with a kindly smile.

"So, what do you say, Mr. Fredrickson?" Sora asked, hopeful.

For a moment, the elderly man said nothing, simply looking between the trio with a dubious glower. His manner did soften only slightly as he glanced over at Russell, having the time of his life as he continued parading around on Kevin's back. And it softened even still as he looked up to his house, a sense of longing filling his expression before he finally let out a relenting, if not a bit begrudging sigh. "Ugh, fine…" Mr. Fredrickson pinched the bridge of his nose. "But I don't want any sort of wacky hijinks or silly shenanigans out of _anyone_. You got it?"

"Uh… no promises," Sora held his hands up with a small smile. "But we'll try."

"And, uh, you three can call me Carl," the elderly man crossed his arms. "The kid only calls me Mr. Fredrickson cause he's all hyped up on his whole 'assisting the elderly' kick."

"Got it," the Keybearer nodded. "Thanks, Carl."

"Oh! You're coming to the falls with us too, Sora?" Russell asked with an excited smile as Kevin finally set him down. "Oh, this is going to be so much fun, especially with Kevin coming along too and-"

"Eh, _no_," Carl immediately brought the boy's enthusiasm down a peg. "These three are coming with us, yeah, but the bird _stays_."

"Whaaaaat?" Russell asked, horrified as he hurried after Carl, who had already begun walking the house on ahead. "B-but can't we keep him? _Please? _I'll get the food for him, I'll walk him, change his newspapers-"

"No," Carl said, firm in his stance.

The Wilderness Explorer let out a small, disappointed huff, but it was clear he wasn't done making his appeal just yet as he recited a short oath from his guidebook. "An Explorer is a friend to all, be it plants or fish or tiny mole."

"That doesn't even rhyme!" Carl scoffed, annoyed.

"Yeah, it does," Russell argued before letting out a gasp as he pointed up to the floating house above them. "Hey, look! Kevin!"

The others all looked up to find that, sure enough, Kevin had taken up a perch high atop Carl's roof. It meandered about for a bit, before finally nabbing one of the balloons keeping the house afloat in its wide maw and swallowing it whole, popping it in the process.

"Heh, well at least he's not going around stealing phones this time," Sora remarked with a small chuckle upon watching this.

"Hey! Get down!" Carl shouted up at the bird angrily as the others chuckled in amusement over its antics. "You're not allowed up there! You get down here right now!"

Surprisingly, Kevin complied, preforming a steady leap before landing squarely on the ground and sheepishly hiding behind Russell to avoid any further scolding. Carl scowled back at it before shaking his head, letting out another exasperated sigh as he looked up to his house once more. "Sheesh… can you believe this, Ellie?"

The others all exchanged a wondering glance at this, though Russell was the first to hatch an idea out of this as he looked up to the house as well with a small, pleading smile. "Uh… Hey, Ellie? Could I keep the bird?" he let the question hang midair for a moment, pretending as though "Ellie" was responding to him. "Uh huh, uh huh. She said for you to let me keep him," he said to Carl brightly.

"B-but I told him no-" Carl quickly caught himself, shaking his head as he turned back to Russell. "I told _you _no. N-O!"

Ultimately though, the argument was left unfinished as Kevin suddenly hissed at Carl, eliciting another disgruntled huff from the elderly man as he simply pressed onward, house in tow and his group of rather unwanted traveling companions not too far behind. All the while, however, the trio in particular couldn't help but cast the occasional curious glance up at the house hovering above them, wondering if there was more to situation than there seemed to be.

"Who's Ellie?" Sora whispered to his companions, not really wanting to perturb Carl any more than he already was. Of course, neither Donald nor Goofy had any sort of answer to this as they both simply shrugged, leaving yet another lingering question about this already peculiar circumstance hanging up in the air.

* * *

Considering the heavy house they had to carefully escort, traveling across the mesas was a much slower process than anyone in the group would have really liked. According to Carl, they only had about three days in total to get the house to the falls before the balloons would no longer be able to support its weight. And yet, despite this tight time limit, it hardly seemed as though they were making any progress at all, even as they finally made it out of the rainforest and out into a more open, rocky, misted landscape. Still, most of the others made an attempt at passing the otherwise dull hike with conversation, save for Carl, who continued to sullenly take lead, his only interest being, just as he'd said before, getting his house to the top of the distant falls.

"So then I steered the house using my GPS all the way here to Paradise Falls!" Russell exclaimed as he regaled the trio with the story of his and Carl's adventure thus far. "But then we fell out of the house, so now we have to walk it like a parade balloon!"

"Ohhh, ok," Sora nodded, glad to finally have a bit more context. "So… what are you guys gonna do once we actually get the house to the falls?"

"Oh, we're gonna-" Russell stopped short, frowning as he looked up ahead to Carl. "Uh… Mr. Fredrickson, what _are _we gonna do when we get the house to the falls?"

"We'll get it to the falls," Carl answered shortly. "And that's the end of that."

"So you're just gonna stay there with it?" Goofy asked, concerned.

"Forever?" Donald added on, equally confused.

"Yes," Carl said sourly before retracting a bit. "I-I don't know, maybe. Look, I haven't figured out that part yet. The only thing I'm concerned about is actually _getting _it there in the first place. Just like she always wanted…" The elderly man muttered his last statement to himself, casting yet another wistful glance up at the house before turning his attention back on the path ahead, though not before calling back to his most unwanted member of the party. "By the way, I see you back there!"

Kevin squawked at this, slipping away from the ongoing trail of chocolate Russell had been leaving behind for him to hide behind a rock that barely even concealed him. Of course, Carl noticed this and finally turned, glaring at the bird as he shook his cane at it once more. "Go on, get out of here!" he shouted at it as it remained in its poor hiding spot. "Shoo! Go annoy someone else for a while!"

"_Hey, are you ok over there?!"_ A sudden, distant call instantly caught the entire group off guard, to the point that none of them noticed Kevin seemingly flee the area altogether.

"Gawrsh, did anyone else hear that?" Goofy asked, trying his best to scope out the foggy landscape.

"Uh… hello?" Carl ventured, calling back in the direction the new voice had come from. It didn't answer right away, but soon enough, a figure began to appear in the distance mist, one that almost appeared to be in the vague shape of a person. "Huh? Someone _else _is up here?"

"Wha—but who?" Donald asked, curious.

"Could be the Organization," Sora noted, already on guard for any of their tricks. "We should be careful and-"

"_I can smell you!"_ the voice called again, bewildering the entire group even more.

"What?" Carl stopped his approach, exchanging a baffled glance with the others. "You can _smell _us?"

"_I can smell you!"_ the voice repeated, bizarrely enough.

Confused as ever, the group slowly stepped forward, only to find that the 'person' they thought they had been talking to turned out to be nothing more than a simple rock formation once they passed through the fog obscuring it. "You were talking to a rock," Russell chuckled, amused as he noticed several similar formations nearby. "Hey, that one looks like a turtle. And that one looks like a dog!" However, at this, the dog-shaped 'rock' moved, leaping through the fog to reveal that it wasn't a rock at all. "Hey, it _is _a dog!" Russell gasped with a wide smile as the friendly golden retriever stepped up to him.

"What?" Carl asked, now more confused than ever before.

"Whoa, no way!" Sora grinned, eagerly joining Russell in petting the pooch. "Do dogs usually hang out near the jungle around here?"

"I doubt it," Donald deadpanned, crossing his arms.

"Hey! We have your dog!" Carl called out across the landscape for anyone else who might be nearby. "Wonder who he belongs to…?"

"Sit, boy," Russell commanded and the dog obediently did so. "Hey look, he's trained!"

"Cool! Let me try!" Sora exclaimed brightly, holding a hand out to the dog. "Ok, shake." Once again, the dog was quick to comply as he raised his paw for the Keybearer to shake it.

"Ok, now, speak!" Russell added, though instead of barking, the dog did something quite unexpected instead.

It _literally _spoke.

"_Hi there!"_

The entire group collectively froze up at this, absolutely baffled in the silence that followed after such an impossible feat. "D-did that dog just say 'hi there'?" Carl asked in a stiff whisper.

"_Oh yes!" _the dog himself replied, eliciting surprised stares from the others as the dog continued cheerfully, jumping up to Carl specifically. _"My name is Dug. I have just met you and I love you."_

"Oh my gosh!" Sora gasped, absolutely amazed, just as Russell currently was. "It's a _talking _dog! This is _so _cool!"

"Sora, stop acting so surprised," Donald remarked in a dry whisper. "It's not like you've never seen a talking dog before; just look at Goofy."

"Hyuck, its true!" the captain chuckled somewhat bashfully.

The Keybearer however, was even more dumbfounded upon receiving the rare reminder of his companions' differing species. "Wait… Goofy's a _dog_?!"

"You already knew that!" Donald snapped, annoyed.

"Well, _yeah_," Sora remarked rather playfully. "But this is different. It's a talking _dog_-dog, know what I mean?"

"Uh… no?" Goofy frowned, scratching his head.

"_My master made me this collar," _Dug proceeded to explain, said high-tech collar translating his rather repetitive thoughts to the others practically nonstop. _"He is a good and smart master and he made me this collar so that I may talk—SQUIRREL!" _The dog stopped short, transfixed with some unknown point in the distance before it realized it was a false alarm. _"My master is good and smart."_

"I-its not possible-" Carl attempted to interject, shaking his head before Dug continued.

"_Oh it is, because my master is smart," _he noted once more, happily painting all the while. _"I am a great tracker. My pack sent me on a special mission all by myself. Have you seen a bird? I want to find one and I have been on the scent. I am a great tracker, did I mention that?"_

Before Dug could say anything else, he was suddenly tackled clean onto his back by none other than Kevin, who pinned him down and let out a sharp, threatening hiss in a failed attempt at intimidating him. _"Hey, that is the bird! I have never seen one up close, but this is the bird. May I take your bird back to camp as my prisoner?"_

"Yes, take it!" Carl hastily allotted, shoving both Russell and the trio forward in an attempt at getting away from this strange situation. "And on the way, learn how to bark like a real dog!"

"_Oh, I can bark!" _Dug did so, bereft of his collar until it filled in for him once more. _"And here's howling!" _As the dog howled, Kevin responded harshly, hissing shrilly at him again as it continued to keep him held to the rocky ground.

"Can we keep him?" Russell pleaded with Carl, a request that Sora was quick to jump in on.

"Yeah, can we?"" the Keybearer asked with a hopeful smile. "Please?"

"Wha—Ugh, I get Russell asking," Carl began, sending Sora an incredulous look. "But what are you, kid, 5?"

"He sure does act like it sometimes," Donald agreed, just as deadpan.

"Also, _no _we can't keep him," the elderly man concluded staunchly.

"But it's a _talking _dog!" Russell appealed, dropping to his knees.

"Its just a weird trick or something," Carl scowled, turning his back on the entire group, though they all proceeded to follow him all the same, including both Kevin and Dug. "Let's just get to the falls before we pick up any _more _strays..."

"_Please be my prisoner," _Dug pleaded with the bird as he trailed after it, failing to frighten it in any sort of way whatsoever. _"Please, oh, please be my prisoner!"_

"Prisoner?" Sora frowned upon hearing this. "Dug, why do you want Kevin to be your prisoner?"

"_Because it is my special mission!" _Dug enthusiastically explained as he lightly chomped down on Kevin's leg. Once more, the bird was unphased as it continued steadily following along after Russell. _"My pack sent me to find the bird and now that I have I will bring it back to them and then they will like me!"_

"Gawrsh, don't they already like ya?" Goofy asked.

"_Yes, but once I bring back the bird then they will like me even more!" _Dug pointed out before going back to pleading with Kevin once more. _"So please be my prisoner, bird!"_

"Dug, stop bothering Kevin!" Russell chastised, wagging his finger at the dog.

"_But that man there says I can take the bird," _Dug nodded up to Carl. _"And I love that man there like he is my master."_

"I am _not _your master!" Carl snapped back, thoroughly irritated. Even so, Dug persisted in his attempts to anchor Kevin down, even as the bird finally made an attempt at shaking him off.

"_I am warning you once again, bird!" _Dug exclaimed, even as Russell rushed in to split the two up.

"Hey! Quit it!" the boy fussed, trying his best to push Dug back. Fortunately, he received some much-needed help from Sora, who quickly came in to stand between the two animals once Russell had successfully seperated them.

"Yeah, can't we work something out?" the Keybearer suggested. "Something that _doesn't _involve anyone taking anyone else prisoner?"

"_But I must take the bird prisoner for that is my special mission!" _Dug reiterated once again, as one-track as ever as he dashed past the pair to catch up to Kevin once more. The sudden movement startled the bird, who stumbled forward as the dog latched onto it again. And in doing so, both of them bumped hard into Carl, not only tripping him up but lurching his tether on the house to the point that it ended up swaying into the nearby cliffside with a resounding crash. Everyone froze at this, looking up to the building to see that it was relatively unharmed from the impact, but even so, Carl was far from pleased with the damage that _could _have been sustained amidst this chaos.

"Alright, listen here," he growled, turning to the rest of the group with a severe scowl. "I am nobody's master, got it? I don't want you here," he pointed to Dug before doing the same to Kevin. "And I don't want you here. I'm stuck with you," he nodded over at Russell, then glared at Sora, Donald, and Goofy. "And I'm only letting you three come along so those no-ones or whatever they are won't get us killed. So you two," he turned to the pair of bothersome animals once more. "Can both go get lost and the rest of us are going to keep on going so we can _finally _get to the falls _without _anymore pointless sidetracks or distractions. Is that clear?!"

Of course, before anyone could even try to answer Carl's harsh question, they were inevitably faced with yet another distraction, this time in the form of a fearful cry coming from the thick cluster of trees up ahead. "Ugh, looks like I spoke too soon…" Carl groaned in exasperation as he joined the others in curiously looking for the source of this scream. "Might as well see what we have to put up with _this _time…"

Surprisingly enough, 'this time', the interruption to their travels didn't come in the form of another bizarre animal. Instead, the cry had come from the young man who had just broke out of the forest in a frantic run, clad in an unmistakable black coat as he paused to catch his lost breath.

"Ugh! T-those crazy dogs won't quit!" he huffed tiredly as he doubled over to recoup from whatever chase he'd just been a part of. "Go to this world and look for a Key, they said; it'll be _easy_, they said. Yeah, right. Could this mission _get _any worse?"

"Hey!" Sora's accusatory shout caught the Organization member off guard even more than he already was as he turned towards the group before him with a startled gasp.

"Aw, _seriously?_!" he whined loudly. "_You _guys are here too?! This just isn't my day…"

"You!" the Keybearer exclaimed threateningly, just about ready to summon his Keyblade if he needed to. "You're with the Organization! Uh…. What's this guy's name again?" he whispered to his companions, recognizing the face, but not the name that went along with it.

"Hm… wasn't it Dimiss, or somethin' like that?" Goofy suggested, also finding it hard to recall.

"No, no, it was Doxmas!" Donald corrected pointedly.

"Wait, I got it!" Sora snapped his fingers with a knowing smile. "Dexys."

"It's _Demyx_!" the melodious nocturne snapped impatiently. "Seriously, how could you forget?! It wasn't even that long ago that you three thrashed me! And boy, do _I _ever remember that if you guys don't…"

"Oh yeah, that's right!" Sora crossed his arms, recalling their previous encounters and eventual easy defeat of the melodious nocturne. "Yeesh, the Organization must _really _be getting desperate if they'd bring _you _back for another go."

"H-hey!" Demyx exclaimed, flustered. "Why does everyone keep saying that?! But still… you _might _have a point about the higher-ups getting desperate. After all, word on the street is that the old man has _you _pegged for our missing number thirteen."

Despite his earlier confidence, Sora couldn't help but flinch upon hearing this claim once more, bothered to hear it coming even from someone as relatively unintimidating as Demyx. Still, he tried his best to play it off with little concern, knowing that getting a rise out of him was very likely the Organization's intention at large with this continued insistence that he was doomed to become one of them. "Y-yeah, well, maybe you should learn that word on the street isn't always accurate," the Keybearer retorted as sternly as he could. "I'm _not _your 'missing number thirteen' and I never will be."

"Aw, come on!" Demyx pleaded in faux desperation. "I'll score some major brownie points with the other members if I come back with both you _and_ one of those special Keys. Plus, if you join up, then maybe the others will start picking on me less and go after _you _instead. After all, everyone in the Organization already hates you."

"As 'fun' as that sounds," Sora remarked rather dryly as he rolled his eyes. "I'm not interested _at all_. So you might as well get used to the idea of leaving empty-handed, since we're not about to let you get ahold of that Key either!"

"O-oh yeah?" Demyx countered, trying his best to be boldly challenging. "Well, I-"

"Alright, alright! _Enough _already!" Carl suddenly interjected, clearly aggravated by the lengthy exchange. "You!" he snapped at Sora first. "Stop holding us up by trying to pick a fight with this guy and you," he sent an equally harsh glare over at Demyx. "Get outta here, ya beatnik hippie! We've got enough useless tagalongs on this trip as it is, we don't need _any _more!"

"Wha—hey!" Demyx exclaimed, clearly offended. "I'm not a beatnik _or _a hippie—whatever that is. I'm-"

"I don't care," Carl countered flatly. "Take a hike!"

"B-but I-" the melodious nocturne cut himself off the moment he finally happened to spot Dug amidst the group. "Ah!" he gasped in sudden fear, shrinking back a bit. "I-its one of those crazy talking dogs!"

"_Hello! My name is Dug," _Dug greeted as obliviously as ever.

"W-who cares?" Demyx asked tightly, calling upon his sitar for self-defense. "J-just stay the heck away from me! Same goes for all your freaky little friends!"

"But… Dug isn't crazy or freaky," Russell pointed out. "He's super friendly! …When he's not trying to capture Kevin…"

"Whatever!" Demyx snapped hotly as he called upon a dark corridor. "I'm outta here! While you all get mauled by psycho-dogs, I'll be snatching that Key right out from your noses. Catch ya later!" The melodious nocturne paused just short of stepping into the darkness with a final casual shrug. "Or not. Doesn't really matter to me either way."

And with that, Demyx took his leave, leaving the group he'd just encountered in very much the same state he'd found them in. "Welp, that was a huge waste of time," Carl concluded staunchly, readjusting his house's harness as he prepared to press on ahead.

"Tell me about it," Sora readily agreed. "Who knows what the Organization was thinking, sending someone like _him _here to look for the Key?"

"Looks like we won't have too much else to worry about around here," Goofy noted, allayed.

"Well, aside from the Nobodies," Donald said mindfully.

"Eh, they're nothing we can't handle," Sora concluded confidently.

"Great," Carl deadpanned. "Now, can we _please _get going again? I don't think I need to remind any of you that those balloons aren't gonna hold that house up forever."

"W-wait!" Russell exclaimed, suddenly distraught. "Where's Kevin? He was just here a minute ago!"

"He must have wandered off when that Demyx guy showed up," Sora ventured, glancing around for the missing bird. "Dug, you said you were a great tracker. Can you find him?"

"_Find the bird, find the bird," _Dug muttered, instantly taking up the task before he quickly latched onto Kevin's scent. _"Point!" _The dog tipping his nose up at the house, where Kevin was once again perched atop the roof, though this time, it was in the midst of amassing a rather extensive pile of various foods.

"Hey! That's my food!" Carl exclaimed, realizing the bird must have broken into his kitchen when they weren't looking. "Get off my roof!"

"_Yeah! Get off his-" _Dug barked, aptly finishing off the command all the same. However, the bird hardly paid either of them any mind as a small, higher pitched squawk echoed out from some distance away. Kevin answered it, somehow knowing exactly where it was coming from, before continuing its work on its newfound food stash.

"What's he doin' up there?" Goofy asked, looking to the bird curiously.

"_The bird is calling to her babies," _Dug explained simply.

"Her babies!" Russell smiled upon hearing this, though it soon turned into stark confusion that the others all shared in their expressions. "Wait… Kevin's a _girl_?!"

"_Her house is over there in those twisty rocks," _Dug nodded over to a large grouping of rocks miles away, thick fog largely obscuring them from view, where the cries of Kevin's babies echoed lightly. _"She has been gathering food for her babies and must get back to them."_

"Oh! Then we should help her get all that food back to them!" Sora insisted without a moment's hesitation. "Especially since there's bound to be more Nobodies out there."

"Haven't we gotten sidetracked enough?" Donald asked, shaking his head in protest.

"Uh… well…"

"Yes," Carl answered in place of the Keybearer. "And we're _not _letting that bird make off with all my food! And for the last time-" he shouted up at Kevin herself. "Get off my roof!"

Surprisingly, Kevin complied, jumping to the ground without any food in tow. From there, she seemed to offer a series of unique farewells, from wrapping her wings around Russell in a loose hug, to tapping Carl on the head with her beak, to hissing at Dug one last time before she turned to take off to her mysterious home. "Wait… Kevin's just leaving?" Russell frowned sadly. "B-but how are we gonna make sure she gets to her babies? Sora's right, we gotta help her!"

"Sorry, boys," Carl said with only the slightest hint of sympathy as he pressed on ahead. "We've lost enough time already."

"Yeah…" Russell heaved a disappointed sigh as he watched Kevin disappear into the jungle, intent on reuniting with her family. "I guess you're right…"

"I hope she'll be alright…" Sora said with a worried frown as he also watched the bird go.

"Aw, I'm sure she'll be a-ok," Goofy assured warmly.

"Especially if she runs back to her babies as fast as she did when she stole your phone," Donald noted with a small snicker, electing a dry glance from the Keybearer.

"This was her favorite chocolate," Russell wept lightly as he pulled the chocolate bar out of his pack before offering it up to Carl. "Because you sent her away, there's more for you."

Of course, Carl didn't take the chocolate, instead rolling his eyes in continued exasperation with his companions' antics. And yet, it seemed as though the bird apparently hadn't gone too far, as a nearby bush softly began to rustle behind the group.

"Kevin?" Russell asked, hopeful as he turned to the shrub. However, what actually emerged from the trees was anything but the colorful bird. Instead, it was a trio of dogs, all three of them larger and much more intimidating than Dug as they rushed out towards the group, barking and snarling all the while. The canines quickly surrounded the crew, not even phased as Sora, Donald, and Goofy called upon their respective weapons as a defensive tactic to keep Carl and Russell safe. All the while, Dug stood by, quite conflicted by his comrades' unexpected arrival, especially as the leader of the trio approached him menacingly.

"_Where is the bird?!" _he demanded, his collar emitting a strangely, almost comically high-pitched voice, despite his fierce manner and stature. _"You said you would find the bird!"_

"_Oh, hi, Alpha!" _Dug greeted somewhat meekly. _"Your voice sounds funny-"_

"_I know, I know!" _Alpha snapped, irritated. _"Again, I ask, where is the bird?!"_

"_Uh… tomorrow!" _Dug nodded vigorously. _"Come back tomorrow and I will have the bird, yes."_

Alpha reacted harshly to this news, lashing out with a deep bark that was more than enough to get Dug to shrink back in fear. _"You lost it. Why do I not have a surprised feeling? Well, at least you have led us to this small mailman, this one who smells of prunes, and their bizarrely-dressed companions."_

"Bizarrely-dressed?" Donald repeated, offended.

"Gawrsh, is he talkin' about us?" Goofy wondered.

"_Master will be most pleased we have found them," _Alpha continued with an air of smugness in his high-pitched tone. _"And will ask of them many questions." _The top dog approached the group, barking loudly once more as it issued a forceful command. _"Come!"_

"Wha—we're not going with you!" Carl protested hotly. "We're going to the falls!"

The elderly man's attempts at continuing onward, however, were quickly stopped by the other two dogs, Beta and Gamma, who barked fiercely, snarling and baring their teeth to get him to step back. And while that attempt worked on Carl and Russell, Sora wasn't so easily intimidated as he instead lightly waved his Keyblade towards the dogs, not in any real attempt at hitting them, but more for the sake of shooing them away. "Get back!" he warned firmly, though likewise, the dogs themselves were hardly phased by his efforts as one of them chomped down on the end of his Keyblade hard. While Sora usually wouldn't have minded something like this happening to his sturdy weapon, this time he certainly did, especially as he happened to catch the briefest glimpse of the reoccurring crack marring its surface. And for a moment, that crack was all he could really see as he let the weapon slip out of his hands, allowing it to disappear into thin air as he took an anxious step back.

"Sora?" Goofy asked, instantly distracted, just as Donald was, upon noticing their young companion's obvious shock, though neither of them had the slightest idea about where could be coming from. After all, even though the trio of dogs were quite aggressive and hostile, they were far from any worse than any Heartless or Nobody they'd faced before. Which made Sora's sudden, quite untimely bout of unknown fear quite mysterious and quite worrying indeed.

Still, it was more than enough for cost them all whatever edge they might have had against the dogs as they began corralling them in the exact opposite direction of where they had been headed, much to Carl's alarm. "N-no!" he shouted, glancing fretfully up at the house as it was ultimately pulled along with them as it always was. "The falls…" The elderly man let out a sigh of bitter disappointment, casting a longing look back towards Paradise Falls, still out of reach as ever and now, with them being pulled away from it against their will, even further out of reach still.

As the now-hostage group was led off to their unknown destination, none of them even thought to look towards a tall outcropping of rock in the distance behind them. But if they had, they would have seen a dark corridor opening up and a lone melodious nocturne stepping out upon it to watch what was going on from a safe distance. "Their 'master', huh?" Demyx mused with a curious grin, already starting to devise a plan as to how he could use this dramatic turn of events to his advantage. Especially when it came to pinning down the location of the elusive Key. "Now this is something I _gotta _see…"

* * *

Since there was no apparent way to fight off or escape from Alpha and his pack, the group really had no choice but to let themselves be led away from the rockier landscapes and out towards a northern-bound canyon area instead. Conversation was quite limited thanks to tight tension the dogs' stern, authoritative manner kept them all under, yet Donald and Goofy made a hushed attempt at speaking to Sora all the same.

"Sora, what happened back there?" Donald asked in a careful whisper.

"Yeah, why'd ya just freeze up like that?" Goofy added with a worried frown. "It's not like you…"

"I… don't know," Sora shook his head, already knowing that he was feeding yet _another _lie to his companions. But unlike what he'd told them about the scar, he figured this lie was a much more necessary one; after all, neither of them had the slightest idea about whatever dark damage his Keyblade had sustained. Damage that he desperately didn't want getting any worse than it already was. "I guess I just-"

The Keybearer stopped short, whatever explanation he was about to give falling on dead air as he stared down at his empty hands, noticing something strangely off about his left one. Peeking out just shy of the edge of his glove was a small, dark spot on his palm, one that could have easily been missed if one wasn't actively looking for it. Naturally confused, Sora made an attempt at wiping it off with his thumb, initially believing it to be dirt or maybe even an unnoticed bruise. And yet, despite his best efforts to get rid of it, the dark spot still remained, much to the Keybearer's growing alarm. However, what frightened him even more than that was what awaited when he pulled the edge of his glove just a bit, only to find that the shadowy blemish wasn't just confined to his palm. Instead, it seemed to flush out from that small focal point, blooming at the front of his wrist to the point that it painted it in a sinister, almost pitch-black shade. Upon this startling discovery, the most Sora could really do was stare at it with wide, worried eyes, trying his hardest to make sense of what it could possibly mean and coming up with no answers to his many questions about it whatsoever. At the same time, as he looked to this pall of darkness clashing with his skin, he couldn't help but think of his Keyblade, cracked and splintered with similar strands of shadows running across it, or of the scar, deep and damming that had been torn across his chest in the shape of an unmistakable, unshakable sigil. All three were clearly signs of _something_, that something was happening to him, that something was wrong, that he was in trouble, that he was—

_Tainted. _

The chilling thought barely even had time to register in the Keybearer's mind before his attention was quickly diverted by his companions' shared concern. "Sora?" Goofy asked, noticing his troubled expression. "Is somethin' wrong?"

"N-no!" Sora answered much too quickly, instantly pulling the edge of his glove up as high as it would go to obscure the darkness beneath it. Briefly, he internally scolded himself for lying to the pair yet _again_, but given their current circumstances, he'd be hard pressed to offer any sort of explanation even if he wanted to. "No, uh… nothing's wrong. Well, I mean, aside from the whole, being led off to who knows where by a pack of talking dogs thing. S-so I was just trying to come up with a plan to get us out of this whole mess."

"Could ya come up with something a little faster, kid?" Carl asked, overhearing this remark. "I swear, these dogs are multiplying by the minute!"

Sure enough, he wasn't wrong, for as they continued closer towards the canyon, it soon became apparent that Alpha, his team, and Dug weren't the only canines patrolling the mesas. For soon enough, it became apparent that more canines of all different breeds were patrolling the area, some of them perched atop the canyon walls while some emerged from the ravine itself. A handful of these dogs joined Alpha's pack in escorting the group towards the darkened entrance of the towering canyon, though what awaited within its shadowy depths was just about anyone's guess. Even so, as the dogs grew in numbers, so too did they grow in ferocity, growling and snarling aggressively as they steadily approached the mutually startled group from all sides. For a moment, as they reached the canyon's opening, it almost seemed as though a handful of them intended on coming in for a vicious attack, and yet, right before they could…

"Stay!" A sudden voice echoed from within the canyon, and upon its command, every single last dog stopped and stood perfectly still. From within the darkness stood the obscured figure of a man, peering out at the group below for a moment before posing an incredulous question, especially as he glanced up at the house accompanying them, and the multitude of balloons keeping it afloat. "You came here… in _that_?"

The others exchanged a brief glance, not sure of who this man was or what his intentions were. Which was why Carl was ultimately the one to come up with an equally tentative answer. "Uh… yeah?"

"In a house? A _floating _house?" The man soon broke down into a bout of genuine laughter, one that Carl, Russell, and even the trio hesitantly joined in on in an attempt at easing themselves out of their current precarious situation. "That is the darndest thing I've ever seen!" the man exclaimed, slapping his knee. "You're not after my bird, are you? But if you need to borrow a cup of sugar, I'll be happy to oblige!"

Upon hearing their master's joke, the entire collection of dogs erupted into uproarious laughter, which was all but completely lost on the still quite intimidated group they were surrounding. "What's so funny?" Donald asked, raising a suspicious eyebrow.

"Us, I guess," Goofy said with something of an uneasy chuckle.

"Well, this is all a misunderstanding," the man assured once the dogs quieted down. "My dogs made a mistake." At this, he finally stepped into the light to reveal that, much like Carl, he was also an elderly man, though a good bit taller as he leaned against his weathered wooden cane. Even so, he hardly seemed to be in ill form, as his outfit was adventurous, eyes were bright, and expression warm and cordial as he smiled to the group gathered before him.

"Wait…" Carl spoke up, his eyes wide with shock as he stared at the man in disbelief. "Are you… Charles Muntz?"

"Well… yes," the man nodded, his smile widening a bit.

"_The _Charles Muntz?"

"'Adventure is out there'!" Muntz quoted with a sly thumbs up and a wink, exciting Carl even more.

"I-its really him!" the elderly man exclaimed, besides himself with glee as he glanced back at the others. "That's Charles Muntz!"

"It is?" Russell asked, initially as enthusiastic as Carl himself was until he looked to the trio in shared confusion. "Who's Charles Muntz?"

Of course, neither Sora, Donald, nor Goofy had the faintest idea as they could only offer the boy a series of shrugs, though all the same, Carl's elation was hardly quelled. "I'm Carl Fredrickson," he readily introduced himself, shaking the adventurer's hand. "My wife and I, we were your biggest fans!"

"Well, you're a man of good taste!" Muntz remarked with a charmed chuckle. "You fellas must be tired. Hungry?"

"Uh huh," Russell nodded with a wide smile.

"Yeah!" Sora agreed just as eagerly.

"Didn't we already talk about getting distracted?" Donald scolded, crossing his arms.

"Aw, c'mon, we deserve just a _little _break, don't we?" the Keybearer countered with a pleading smile.

"But what about that Demyx fella?" Goofy asked. "Shouldn't we be worried about him finding the Key before us?"

"That guy?" Sora scoffed, unconcerned. "Yeah, right. He'll be lucky if he can find his way outta the jungle, much less to any of the Keys."

"Hm… If you say so…" Donald noted, still somewhat doubtful.

"Attention, everyone!" Muntz called, addressing his entire pack of canines. "These people are no longer intruders. They are our guests." The once-hostile dogs let out a round of hearty cheers at this, this time swarming the group with bright excitement rather than cold ferocity as the adventurer beckoned them into the canyon. Or rather, to the massive dirigible docked inside of it.

"No way…" Sora gasped, amazed by the impressive airship. "First we had flying houses, then talking dogs, and now a blimp? This world's got it all!"

"What was that, my boy?" Muntz asked, casting a casual glance over his shoulder.

"Uh, n-nothing!" the Keybearer quickly played the matter off, especially upon catching a critical glance from Donald, silently reminding him to maintain the world order.

Fortunately, Muntz didn't press the matter any further as he let out another small, amused chuckle. "Well, I hope my dogs didn't cause you folks too much trouble. You can go ahead and park your 'airship' next to mine."

Carl readily did so, securely tying his house up to the same pylon keeping Muntz' dirigible weighed down. "We're not actually going inside the 'Spirit of Adventure' itself, are we?" he asked, still absolutely dumbfounded with meeting his longtime idol alone as it was.

"Oh, would you like to?" Muntz asked with a knowing grin as he began to lead the way up the gangplank.

"_Would _I?!" Carl exclaimed, delighted by the invitation as he rushed after the adventurer, Russell following not too far behind him. The trio likewise trailed after them, all rather amused by just how overjoyed Carl seemed to be over this fortuitous turn of events.

"Gawrash, Carl sure is excited about meetin' Mr. Muntz," Goofy noted with a good-natured grin.

"Yeah," Sora agreed, crossing his arms. "You know, if Carl trusts him that much right off the bat, then that means that we can trust him too. Hey, maybe he might even be able to help us find that Key!"

"Hm… I don't know…" Donald frowned, shaking his head. "Seems like a longshot to me."

"But it's a shot all the same," the Keybearer pointed out with a sly grin. "Which means it's one worth taking."

"Wha—that's not what I meant!" the magician countered with an annoyed scowl. Still, he didn't have much of a chance to argue any further as Sora already hurried on ahead into the airship, clearly confident in this course of action. Donald let out a frustrated huff at this, not sharing in Goofy's small chuckle over the Keybearer's brazenness, but even so, they followed his lead, hoping that his intuition would end up leading them to the missing Key after all.

* * *

If the Spirit of Adventure was impressive on the outside, its interior was even more of a grand sight to see. Its central chamber was akin to a large, elegant museum, a treasure trove of various prizes Muntz had claimed on expeditions past, from giant fossils, to stuffed creatures, to rare artifacts from all around the world. The adventurer was more than happy to show them off to his guests, who—Carl in particular—just as eager to hear all about the daring tales of risk and reward behind them.

"Ah yes, the Arsinoitherium," Muntz recalled as they passed by a towering skeleton. "Beast charged while I was brushing my teeth. Used my shaving kit to bring him down. Only way I could get it back home at the time was to have it declared as 'dental equipment'!"

Muntz and Carl both shared a good laugh over this anecdote before the latter spotted another one of the adventurer's most famous trophies. "Oh my gosh! Is that the Giant Somalian Leopard Tortoise?!"

"Oh, you recognize it?" Muntz grinned up at the giant shell. "I'm impressed! That's an interesting story there…"

"Uh, hey, Mr. Muntz?" Sora interjected, raising his hand. "Sorry to interrupt, but you know Paradise Falls pretty well, don't you?"

"Well, I _have _been down here for the past few decades straight," Muntz remarked. "So yes, I'd say I'm more than acquainted with the area by now. Why do you ask?"

"Well, we were just wondering," the Keybearer began, motioning to himself and his companions. "If you knew where we might be able to find a special sort of Key around here? Something that looks like this?" At this, Sora summoned the first Key they'd found, still just as vibrantly shimmering and radiating with its unique sort of power and majesty that it had been from the moment it'd first appeared in his hand. Muntz was clearly taken aback by it, looking over the blade with immense fascination and perhaps even slight awe.

"My, that's quite a key indeed!" the adventurer exclaimed, though his amazement soon faded as he shook his head. "Unfortunately, I'm afraid you boys might have come to the wrong place if you're in search of something like that. Not much in the way of any Keys out in the jungle; in fact, the only thing that's of any worth out there is-"

"_Master," _Alpha's unexpected arrival abruptly cut through the conversation, his pitchy voice still as mismatched with his intimidating appearance as ever. _"Dinner is ready."_

"Oh dear, broken translator," Muntz said, bending over to fix the collar. "It's that loose wire again. Anyway, there ya go, big fellla."

"_Thank you, master," _Alpha said, his voice much darker and deeper now that his collar was corrected.

"I-I liked his other voice better," Russell flinched, cowering behind Carl somewhat.

"Well, dinner is served!" Muntz proclaimed, leading the way down the hall. "Right this way."

Much like the museum before it, the airship's dining room carried just as much sophisticated class and homages to Muntz' prior explorations. The adventurer continued to regale his guests with amiable small talk as his dogs served up their surprisingly upscale dinner (save for Russell, who was more than content to receive a simple hot dog, even if the accompanying canines snatched it off his plate when he wasn't looking). At the same time, Carl still made no effort to hide just how enthralled he was by both the tour and the accommodations Muntz had offered them, knowing that a meeting such as this was clearly a once in a lifetime opportunity.

"Ah, Ellie would have loved all this," he sighed wistfully, briefly nodding to his house tethered up outside the window. "You know, its because of you she had this dream to come down here and live by Paradise Falls."

"I'm honored," Muntz said earnestly. "And now you've made it!"

"You sure we're not a bother? I'd hate to impose."

"No, no! It's a real pleasure to have guests, a real treat-" Muntz was immediately cut off by a chorus of excited barks from every single dog in the room, each of them loudly calling and clamoring over each other for the purposed 'treat'. "No, quiet!" the adventurer shouted over the din. "Calm down! Shouldn't have used that word… Having guests is a _delight_!" he snapped, finally calming the canines down abruptly. "More often I get thieves, coming to steal what's rightfully mine…"

"No!" Carl exclaimed, aghast.

"Golly, what are they tryin' to steal from you, Mr. Muntz?" Goofy asked with a concerned frown.

However, Muntz didn't answer right away, standing up from the table as he turned towards the back of the room, his usually pleasant tone taking on a darker edge. "They called me a fraud, those… gah!" he scoffed bitterly, lifting his lantern a bit. "But once I bring back this creature, my name will be cleared." By the dim light of the lantern, a massive collection of photographs, drawings, maps, feathers, and every pieces of evidence in between was revealed, each of them pointing towards the centerpiece of it all: a long, lanky skeleton, clearly a bird, and an all-too familiar one at that.

"Hey," Sora spoke up to his companions in a bewildered whisper as he looked over the fossil. "Isn't that…?"

"Shh!" Donald quickly quieted him, already sensing the adventurer's changing manner. Goofy also had, which was why he rushed to cover the Keybearer's mouth before he could speak too soon. Fortunately though, Muntz didn't notice any of this, as lost in his longtime obsession as he was.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" he asked, hardly talking to any of the others now as he both admired and loathed the skeleton before him. "I've spent a lifetime tracking it. Sometimes _years _go by between sightings. I've tried to smoke it out of that deadly labyrinth where it lives. Can't go after it. Once in, there's no way out. Lost so many dogs that way…"

By now, Carl had caught on to what Donald and Goofy already had as well, and much like them, his alarm and dread steadily began to grow as Muntz went on, long, dark shadows cast against his face as he spoke quietly, yet coldly. "And here they come, these bandits, and think the bird is theirs to take! But soon they find that this mountain is a very _dangerous _place…"

"Hey!" Russell quickly broke the growing tension filling the room as he finally glanced up at the skeleton for himself, innocently proclaiming what Sora almost had earlier. Though this time, no one had thought to stop him. "That looks like Kevin!"

"…Kevin?" Muntz asked, confused.

"Yeah! That's my new giant bird pet," Russell explained blithely, not noticing the panicked looks the others were all sending him. "I trained him to follow us."

"Follow you?" Muntz scoffed, incredulous. "Impossible. How?"

"She likes chocolate," Russell held up what was left of his chocolate bar to show the adventurer. "I gave her some of it and she goes ga-ga for it. She also likes playing with Sora's phone!"

"Uh, w-well…" Sora began rather awkwardly, looking to his companions for any aid they might be able to give in getting them out of this newfound tight spot. "I don't-"

"B-but it ran off!" Carl fortunately interjected instead, stopping both boys before they could say anything else to incriminate them. "It's gone."

For what seemed like ages, Muntz said nothing to this, his eyes narrowing at the group sitting before him before he put on a small, clearly fake smile. "You know, Carl," he said, his tone much too casual as he paced over to a table filled with abandoned aviator's helmets. "These people who come through here, they all tell pretty good stories: a 'surveyor' making a map…" Muntz used his cane to push one of the hats off of the table, clearly unconcerned as it fell to the floor with a dull, echoing thud. "A 'botanist' cataloging plants… An old man taking his house to Paradise Falls and his friends looking for some sort of magical 'Key'…" The adventurer dropped one final helmet to the ground, his expression icy as he practically stared right through the entire group. "That's the best one yet. I can't _wait _to hear how it ends…"

Needless to say that none of the others had the slightest idea what to do when countered with such bold accusations. Of course, none of them had any intentions of competing against Muntz to get ahold of the bird; if anything, they all shared a mutual desire to protect Kevin, especially since it seemed as though whatever fate the adventurer had in mind for her was quite grim indeed. Yet, just as Carl was in the midst of desperately trying to come up with some excuse to give to play everything of, he happened to nervously steal a glance outside the nearby window. And as soon as did, he happened to spot the very last thing he had hoped to see, still perched comfortably on top the roof of his own house, just as she had been before: Kevin.

"Well!" Carl abruptly exclaimed with a wide, forced smile as he pulled away from the table. "It's been a wonderful evening, b-but we'd better be going."

"Oh, you're leaving?" Muntz asked, making no apparent attempt at stopping them as he continued playing just as coy as Carl currently was.

"Uh, y-yeah!" Sora agreed, exchanging a brief, terse nod with Carl. "We've gotta go find that Key, get the house to the falls, it's a whole thing, so…"

"Yeah, what he said," Carl agreed quickly, grabbing Russell by the arm to pull him to his feet. "Come on, Russell."

"But we haven't even had dessert yet," the Wilderness Explorer frowned, still not catching on to what was really going on.

"Oh, the boy's right," Muntz nodded, his smile growing sharper as he slowly approached the group as they began to make their slow retreat out of the room. "You really must stay, I insist! We have so much more to _talk _about…"

Carl was just about to offer the adventurer another hasty excuse, and yet right before he could, everything instantly fell apart all at once upon one single, loud, echoing squawk. One that, without a doubt, came from the very bird they were all trying their very best to hide.

"Kevin?" Russell asked, peering out the window in the hopes of catching a glimpse of the tagalong creature.

Likewise, Muntz looked out the window himself, stunned to finally see the bird for himself, colorful feathers and tall, towering form proudly sitting squarely on the roof of Carl's house. The house that was currently parked only feet away from his very own airship. "It's _here_…" he whispered in awed disbelief, his long-awaited prize in sight but still out of reach. Though it wouldn't be for long, if he had anything to do with it.

Quickly, Muntz turned back to his 'guests' only to find that they had taken advantage of the distraction Kevin had provided them with to make a hasty getaway. For sure enough, all five of them were gone, rushing out of the airship to get back out to the house as quickly as they could, all in an attempt at escaping the adventurer's obsessive wrath.

"Get them!" Muntz commanded his army of dogs, all of whom obediently complied and rushed off after the fleeing group. "Don't let them or that bird get away!"

"So… you're after that bird, huh, old timer?" The adventurer flinched, startled the arrival of this sudden voice in wake of all of his dogs taking off. Already on edge, Muntz spun around, gripping his cane tightly as he noticed a darkened portal opening up in the far corner of the room. And out of that portal stepped none other than Demyx, a smug, daring smirk on his face as he came up with what he believed to be the perfect plan to get his hands on the Key before Sora and his friends could even come close. "I might be able to help you out with that… for the right _price_ …"

* * *

**Ohohoh some interesting lead up into the next chapter, huh? To be honest, I was a little intimidated by tackling my first original Disney world in this story, but if there was any good one to start on I'd say it was Up. Carl and Russell are both a lot of fun to write, heck, even Muntz is too so that'll make the next chapter a lot of fun as well (though maybe just a bit... higher stakes hahaha) Anyway, if ya liked what ya see, please feel free to leave a REVIEW! Until next time! **


	16. Chapter 15: Adventure Is Out There

_Oh geez, welcome to longest chapter of Keys yet everyone! Seriously, 18,000 plus words... Haven't written a chapter this long for anything in... quite some time. And yet... i LOVE this chapter, seriously its a TON of fun and some sorta really important plot stuff goes down in it so I really hope you enjoy it! Which is why I'm not gonna keep you from it any longer. Enjoy!_

* * *

_Chapter 15: Adventure Is Out There_

_I've mapped out our journey  
We're up here to stay  
A sunset is our home  
A moonbeam we will own  
My spirit of adventure is you! _

To say that Sora, Donald, Goofy, Carl, and Russell alike were all exhausted would have been an understatement.

The group was only just starting to come off of the dangerous adrenaline their perilous chase against Muntz' dogs had filled them with, a chase that had not only nearly cost them Kevin, but their very lives several times over. They had only barely managed to escape the canyon thanks to Dug's well-timed and spirited help in tripping his fellow dogs up all for the sake of aiding his new group of friends. But even still, that hadn't been enough to ward the dangerous canines off completely, not until they'd lost them through a risky leap of faith over a deep ravine. Several bumps, bruises, and popped balloons later and everyone was mostly alright, if not much worse for wear. Everyone, that was, save for Kevin.

In the brutal landing on the far side of the cliff, the bird's lanky leg had been badly injured, to the point that even Russell patching the injury up accompanied by a generous healing spell from Donald hadn't been enough to get her up and walking properly. So as it currently was, Kevin had returned to her former perch up on the house, safe and secure as the group more or less escorted her back to her mist-covered rocky home. Surprisingly enough, this time, Carl had agreed to Sora and Russell's shared insistence on helping the wounded bird get back to her babies. The only condition he had was that they hurry, given the untold number of balloons the house had lost in the frantic chase. The elderly man knew that wouldn't leave them with too much time to get to the falls, especially as sidetracked as Muntz had already caused them to be. And yet… for as much as he didn't want to, Carl knew in his heart that they _had _to help Kevin out first.

So that's exactly what they set out to do.

Night had fallen by the time they made it completely out of the range of the dogs and back into the jungle. Even so, everyone was still on edge as they briskly headed towards the rocky maze Kevin called home, keeping any eye out for any canines that could still possibly maintaining a stealthy pursuit.

"See anything?" Sora asked Dug as he scouted out the path ahead for any such prying eyes.

"_No, my pack is not following us!" _Dug ran back to the group, his tail wagging excitedly. _"Boy, they are dumb."_

"That, or we're just lucky…" Donald deadpanned rather tiredly.

"This is crazy," Carl huffed, still pulling the house along after him as they continued along. "I finally meet my childhood hero and he's trying to kill us! What a joke…"

"_Hey, I know a joke!" _Dug piped up. _"A squirrel walks up to a tree and says, 'I forgot to store acorns for the winter and now I am dead.' Ha! It is funny because the squirrel gets dead."_

The others all exchanged a brief glance of confusion at the dog's odd, unintentionally dark bout of humor, but even so, Sora made a different attempt at lifting the group's otherwise frayed nerves instead. "Well, look on the bright side. At least we haven't bumped into Demyx or any Nobodies for awhile."

"Don't jinx it," Donald warned.

"But we haven't really found any clues about that Key either, come to think of it…" Goofy noted with a frown.

"Eh, I'm sure we'll figure out how to find it sooner or later," Sora assured, trying his best to remain positive. "Right now, we need to focus on getting Kevin back to her babies."

"Do you think we're getting close, Mr. Fredrickson?" Russell asked, casting a worried glance back up at the bird resting on the roof above them.

"I hope we are," Carl sighed, fretfully looking towards the house himself. "The only good thing about the house being this low is that the trees are keeping it from sticking out like a sore thumb. Or in our case, an attack dog magnet."

A beat of silence passed between the others at this, giving them a chance to remember just how tenuous their momentary peace was. Especially since Muntz' dogs or lurking Nobodies alike could easily beset them at literally any moment.

"You guys know what?" Russell spoke up, seemingly going off on another tangent altogether. "The wilderness… isn't quite what I expected."

"Pffft, oh really," Carl couldn't hold back a small snort of a laugh at this. "How so?"

"It's kinda… wild," the Wilderness Explorer smiled slightly. "I mean, its not how they made it sound in my book. Or how my dad talked about it either. He made it sound so _easy_. He's really good at camping and how to make fire from rocks and stuff. He used to come to all my sweatlodge meetings, and afterwards, we'd go get ice cream! I always get chocolate and he gets peanut-brickle. Then we'd sit on this one curb right outside and I count all the blue cars and he counts all the red ones and whoever gets the most wins… I like that curb." Russell paused, earnestly glancing up at the trio as they listened intently to his innocent anecdote. Even Carl seemed to be offering the boy his apt attention, though he said nothing as he capped it off. "It might sound boring… but I think the boring stuff is the stuff I remember the most…"

"I… think I know what you mean," Sora spoke up with a small smile before diving into a fond memory of his own. "Back on the Destiny Is—I-I mean, where I'm from, there's this tree that overlooks the ocean. Me and my friends, Riku and Kairi, used to hang out there and watch the sunset and talk about all sorts of things for _hours_." The Keybearer couldn't help but let out a small, warm chuckle at this, recalling so many of those sun-soaked, simple conversations, none of which were really about anything that important or significant, but all of them still very dear and precious to his heart all the same. And yet, even as he thought of those treasured moments and how much they mattered to him, his smile soon faded altogether as he considered the present compared to what they'd left behind in the past. "It's… been awhile since we've done that… But… if everything works out, then it won't be long before we'll all be home together again, just like we were before…"

Upon hearing their young companion's wistful hopes, both Donald and Goofy offered him shared supportive smiles, while Russell gave him a much brighter one, clearly charmed by his tale. Carl, on the other hand, was much more somber as he looked between both boys before letting his gaze slowly drift back to his house still slowly trailing along behind him. "The boring stuff, huh…?" he muttered, so thoughtfully and quietly that none of the others could hear him. Still, the elderly man didn't have much of a chance to dwell on such thoughts before a pitchy chorus of baby birds calls echoed through the jungle once more.

"Look! There it is!" Russell excitedly pointed ahead, towards the vast expanse of rocks just ahead.

"All right! We made it!" Sora cheered, equally elated as he ran on ahead, Donald and Goofy not too far behind. Russell attempted to follow, only for his tether to the house to hold him back, at least until Carl laughingly released him from it. Likewise, Dug ran to join the group, leaping happily alongside them as Kevin called brightly to her babies, clearly glad to be so close to them once again. Still, the others made sure to help her get down from the roof as carefully as possible, minding her injured leg all the while. And yet, as soon as she was on the ground, it was as thought that injury hardly even mattered; re-energized and invigorated, Kevin limped forward as fast as she could, electing shared, warm laughs from all the others as they gladly watched her make her final approach home.

"Look at that bird go!" Carl chuckled, shaking his head incredulously. "Wait up, you overgrown chicken!"

"That's it! Go, Kevin!" Russell encouraged cheerfully. "Go find your babies!"

And Kevin was well on her way to doing just that too. Or at least she would have if everything hadn't gone completely wrong at the exact wrong time.

The bird was just shy of the entrance to her maze-like home when a bright, blinding spotlight suddenly fell upon the group from above. The winds picked up drastically as none other than the Spirit of Adventure, now massive and intimidating as it hovered overhead, drew in low for a landing.

"No!" Donald and Goofy cried in startled unison over this horrifying turn of events.

"Run, Kevin!" Russell warned, and though the bird tried her best to do so, she wasn't able to get very far before a net shot out from the side of Muntz' dirigible. Its aim hit true as it struck Kevin hard, dragging her to the ground and keeping her pinned there, helplessly trapped as she cried desperately for her babies all the while.

"We gotta help her!" Sora exclaimed, his Keyblade flashing into his hand as the others nodded their unanimous agreement. "C'mon!"

The group was more than prepared to do whatever they could to help free Kevin from her binds, but just as they ran forward to do so, their attempt was quickly halted by the arrival of a massive horde of Nobodies. The creatures swarmed into existence, creating a barricading line separating the others from the bird, much to their distressed annoyance.

"Hey!" Donald squawked in heated frustration, not hesitating to cast a wide-scale thunder spell at the Nobodies. "Get out of our way!"

"Yeah!" Sora agreed, striking one of the creatures down with rapid force. "We don't have time for this!"

"Aw, come on, sure ya do!" the group's attention diverted away from the Nobodies, instead towards the dark corridor opening up behind them. Demyx smirked confidently as he stepped out of it, greeting the trio in particular with a wry, playful wave. "I mean, its not like you guys haven't been sidetracked several times over already, so what's one more distraction, huh? I'm sure you don't mind, right?"

"You better believe we _do_," Sora retorted coldly, glaring the melodious nocturne down. "Get out of here! And take these Nobodies with you!"

"Ah, no can do," Demyx shrugged casually, wagging his finger at the Keybearer. "See, I'm smack-dab in the middle of a little tactic I like to call… stalling."

The trio paused for a bit, admittedly caught of guard by this, that is, until Sora happened to glance right past their foe to catch a very reassuring sight indeed. "Oh yeah?" he grinned knowingly. "So are we."

"Wha—Hey!" the melodious nocturne shouted, spinning around to find Carl, Russell and Dug sneaking past him to make it to Kevin's side. He made a move to stop them, though didn't get very far before a well-timed shield toss from Goofy struck him clean upside the head. "Ow! _HEY!_" he snapped, turning back to the laughing trio before him.

At the same time, Carl and Russell ran up to Kevin, determined to do whatever they could to set her free and get out of harm's way. However, they hardly had a chance to before the adventurer himself decided to get involved.

"Get away from my bird!" Muntz shouted viciously from the gangplank of his airship, a sizable pack of dogs accompanying him.

"Hey! It's about time you showed up!" Demyx huffed, annoyed. "I could use some backup from those nutso mutts of yours!"

Despite this plea, Muntz all but ignored his new apparent partner in crime. Instead, he sent a burning glare towards Carl in particular, a torch in his hand as he walked, not towards him, Russell, and the bird, not towards Sora, Donald, and Goofy, not Demyx and his Nobodies. No, instead, he headed towards the house. And as soon as he'd reached it, he continued to keep his sights set on Carl, even as he threw his torch down hard at the ground just below it. Carl watched, dumbfounded and horrified as a fire sparked up instantly, flames building until they reached into his home itself, now hovering a few short feet above the ground. The burning heat was more than enough to cause immediate damage, scorching the structure's foundation and popping more than a few balloons keeping it afloat. And as it did, Carl realized that those flames could not only ground his journey, but destroy it entirely, along with the only piece he had left of _her_. And regardless of anything or anyone else, he just _couldn't _let that piece go.

"No!" the elderly man shouted, rushing towards his house and leaving Russell all alone in trying to free Kevin. The boy gasped, alarmed, as Muntz' pack of dogs darted at him full speed, but even still, he took up as firm a stance as possible to protect Kevin from their reach. An attempt that outright failed as the dogs easily overwhelmed him, knocking him down and latching onto the net binding Kevin with hardly any effort at all.

"No! Stop!" Russell cried, trying his best to ward off the dogs, only to nearly be bitten several times over in the process. Dug tried his best to help him, though it was clear he was no match for the much fiercer canines he was struggling against either. "Help!"

"Russell! Dug!" Sora gasped, looking beyond Demyx and the Nobodies to see the distress both the boy and the bird were in. Not wasting a moment, he tried maneuvering around the opposing force, only for the Nobodies to counteract him by slipping around to block his path.

"Going somewhere?" Demyx asked, arms crossed as he sent the Keybearer a triumphant smirk, knowing he had the trio cornered on all sides.

Upon being confronted by such an impassable obstacle, Sora let out a frustrated shout, tearing his Keyblade through several of the Nobodies, only for just as many to reappear in their place. "Why are you doing this?!" he yelled at the melodious nocturne. "I thought you were after the Key!"

"And I am," Demyx nodded. "Don't really care much about the bird, but that old geezer seems to." He nodded over at Muntz as he swiftly returned to his airship. "And so do you three, otherwise you wouldn't be wasting your time with it, right? Well, the way I see it, since you found the first one of those Keys, then why not take a page—or should I say bird—out of your book so I can get the next one?"

"We're not wasting our time! _You _are!" Donald countered harshly.

"Kevin doesn't have anything to do with the Keys!" Goofy added just as adamantly.

"That's right," Sora agreed. "So leave her and the others alone!"

"Oh, sorry but… it looks like you're a bit too late on that one," Demyx noted, nodding towards the Spirit of Adventure. Muntz' dogs had completely succeeded in dragging Kevin to the dirigible, ignoring her wailing cries of protest and feeble struggling all the while as they pulled her along to the adventurer.

"Careful," Muntz urged his canines as they pulled her into the ship. "We want her in good shape for my return."

"Let her go!" Russell cried, desperate to save the bird, though ultimately, he was too late. For as he tried to run towards the massive airship, it all too quickly roared to life, blowing him back hard as it slowly started to rise into the air with the bird in tow. "Kevin!"

"Well, as fun as this was, looks like I'm late for my ride," Demyx grinned to the trio as they watched this capture unfold in horrified disbelief. "Next time you fellas see me, I'll be heading back to the Organization with a fancy new Key in hand. Then we'll see who the dumbest member _really _is…"

With a sly chuckle, the melodious nocturne slipped back into a dark corridor, though as expected, he left his vast crowd of Nobodies behind for the trio to deal with. As they engaged the creatures in a hectic fight, all Russell could do was watch, heartbroken, as the Spirit of Adventure took off, leaving Kevin not just in danger, but far out of their reach. At the same time, Carl was in the midst of finishing patting the flames converging upon his house out, salvaging the home before any critical damage could be done. Even still, he let out an exhausted sigh as he collapsed against the house, knowing just how close of a call that had really been. And realizing exactly what had been lost in that harrowing encounter as Russell approached him, tears in his eyes.

"Y-you gave away Kevin…" the boy whimpered sadly. "You just… gave her away."

Carl flinched at this, pressing up tighter against his house, though he didn't turn to face Russell right away. Instead, he only barely cast a glance over at the trio as they finished taking care of the last few Nobodies, not that he really cared about that, or any of the rest of what had just happened. Or at least, that's what he would have liked to tell himself. "…This is none of my concern…" he muttered low, angrily before he quickly snapped with growing fury. "I didn't ask for any of this!"

"_Master," _Dug spoke up softly, comfortingly. _"It's alright."_

"I am _not _your master!" Carl shouted back, absolutely livid. "And if you hadn't shown up, none of this would have happened! Bad dog! Very bad dog!"

Upon such bitter chastising, Dug let out a small, morose whimper, scampering off with his tail between his legs and his head hung in shame. By now, Sora, Donald, and Goofy had all but gotten rid of the threat the Nobodies posed, and had caught onto the intense conversation unfolding nearby. And needless to say, they were far from happy with what they were hearing.

"Hey!" Sora countered, marching over to the elderly man. "Carl, that's not fair. Its not Dug's fault that we lost Kevin!"

"Hmph, you're right," Carl retorted crossly. "If its anyone's fault, its _yours_. I thought you three were 'experts' when it came to getting rid of those weird monster things. So if you wanted to save the bird so badly, why _didn't _you?"

"It's not like we didn't try!" Donald argued.

"There were just so darn many of 'em…" Goofy frowned.

"They tried their best to help her," Russell spoke up, his sad expression turning angry as he looked to Carl once more. "But _you _didn't try to save Kevin at all!"

"Augh! Who even _cares_?!" Carl groaned, beyond exasperated as he picked up the house's harness once more. "I'm _done _wasting my time with birds and dogs and weird creatures! Whether any of you assist me or not, I'm _going _to Paradise Falls even if it kills me!"

"But what about Kevin?" Sora asked, thoroughly disappointed by Carl's behavior. "We can't just let Muntz take her, she's still hurt-"

"A-and her babies are all alone without her!" Russell added, listening to the distant cries of said abandoned babies behind them. "We gotta get her back, _please_, Mr. Fredrickson, we-"

"Didn't you hear me before?" Carl glared back at the others as he began to press on ahead. "I. Don't. _CARE_. I'm through putting my neck on the line for everyone else! If you wanna save the dumb bird so badly, then go on ahead. But count me _out_."

"O-oh yeah? Well… maybe we _will_ go save her!" Sora exclaimed, determined to right this wrong.

"Wha—but Sora," Donald countered, sending the Keybearer a disapproving look. "What about the Key?"

Sora didn't offer much of an answer, simply shaking his head dismissively, knowing that the Key could afford to wait. But by all accounts, Kevin couldn't.

"Yeah!" Russell chimed in with newfound hope. "Let's go save Kevin!"

"Actually, Russell, you should go with Carl," Sora said, kneeling down to the boy's level. "Things could get pretty dangerous. We don't want you to get hurt."

"Aw!" Russell frowned, disappointed. "But I wanna help Kevin!"

"I know you do," the Keybearer nodded empathetically. "And I bet Kevin knows that too. But Muntz and Demyx are bad guys, and its _our _job to fight off the bad guys, not yours."

Russell pouted at this, though ultimately let out a relenting sigh as he hesitantly complied. "O-ok…" he said sadly. "Promise you'll save her, Sora?"

"Of course," Sora nodded with a confident, determined smile. "I promise."

Russell smiled himself at this, waving his farewell to the trio as he ran off to catch up with Carl, who'd already bitterly trudged on ahead with his low-bearing house in tow. The trio, on the other hand, went off in the opposite direction, searching the darkened night sky for any signs of Muntz' dirigible floating amidst them. Though even as they did, it was clear from the very start that there was derision among them when it came to Sora's rather hasty decision to start this search in the first place.

"Why did you promise him that?" Donald asked the Keybearer as soon as Russell was out of earshot. "Even if we do find that blimp, we don't have any way to get up onto it to rescue Kevin!"

"Then we'll figure something out," Sora assured, resolute. "But we _have _to help Kevin. It _was_ sort of our fault that Muntz got away with her in the first place. If Carl was right about one thing, it's that."

"But what about the Key?" Goofy asked with a concerned frown. "We still don't know where we're supposed to find it, or how."

"Yeah!" Donald chimed in much more adamantly. "That's the whole reason why we came here in the first place and we aren't any closer to finding it than we were when we first got here! We need to focus on getting it before Demyx does first!"

"And we _will_," the Keybearer sighed, somewhat annoyed with the constant reminder of their mission. As well as the constant reminder that he essentially had no idea how to carry said mission out. "After we save Kevin."

Even though Sora continued on ahead, neither Donald nor Goofy did the same, opting to stop and exchange a somewhat exasperated glance instead. "Why do you always have to do this?" the magician asked the Keybearer with a disgruntled groan.

"Do what?"

"Meddle!" Donald snapped hotly. "Every time we go to a world, you always end up getting us off track by sticking your nose where it doesn't belong!"

"It's called helping people," Sora countered, turning to face the pair just as crossly. "And why do _you _always have to have such a problem with it?"

"Because that's not what we're here to do!" the magician exclaimed, stomping his foot down. "If we don't get those Keys before the Organization does, then there won't be any people left for you to help! Why can't you just see that already?!"

"Why can't _you _see that I _know _we need to find the Keys as fast as we can!?" Sora shot back, his hands in tight fists at his sides. "I _get _that if we don't hurry, then we'll lose the rest of the Keys and Xehanort will _win_, ok?! But… I can't just leave a friend behind, no matter what world we're in or what else we need to do."

"Aw, Sora…" Goofy frowned, much more sympathetic and understanding than Donald currently was. "We know ya just wanna help. Heck, we wanna help Kevin, too, but… Donald's right. We don't know how to help her, and even if we did, we still gotta find that Key above all else. Sorry, Sora, but… sometimes ya just gotta learn to let go…"

For a moment, the most Sora could do was stare at both of his companions in crestfallen disbelief, anger and hurt filling in his expression. And the more both of those mounting feelings swelled within him, the more they pushed him to action, however irrational and thoughtless that action might have been. "Fine," he said sharply between clenched teeth. "If you two won't do the right thing, then _I _will! I'm _going _to help Kevin whether you like it or not!"

"B-but Sora-" Goofy attempted to interject, only for Donald to fiercely interrupt him.

"_Fine_!" the magician shouted, shaking his fist at the Keybearer as he abruptly turned on his heel to leave. "Then go do that! And maybe while you're gone, _we'll_ actually do what we're _supposed _to and find that Key!"

"Fine!" Sora yelled over his shoulder, not sparing either the captain or the magician from an icy glare.

"Fine!" Donald called just as bitterly as he crossed his arms, resolved to not follow the Keybearer as he went his own separate way.

"_Fine!"_

"FINE!"

"Not fine…" Goofy muttered to himself, shaking his head apprehensively as he watched their young companion go off on his own into the jungle, as well as whatever dangers might lie within its darkened depths.

* * *

Under the cover of night, the symphony of various natural noises that usually filled the jungle had quieted somewhat, though not by much. Sora hardly paid any of this any mind, however, his mind filled with far too many stewing, angry thoughts as he trudged through the shadows of the rainforest, alone.

On one hand, the Keybearer very much understood where his companions had been coming from; their mission to find the Keys was perhaps one of the most important tasks they had ever been entrusted with, one that they couldn't afford to set by the wayside for too long. But at the same time, Sora knew he couldn't simply stand by and watch as innocents—people and animals alike—were put in danger because of _their _enemies, were captured because of _their _mistakes, were harmed because _they _did nothing to help them. Which was exactly why he _was _doing something about it, even if Donald and Goofy wouldn't.

Yet at the same time, Sora couldn't help but feel the slightest bit guilty over how he'd not only snapped at them, but left them on such a harsh, bitter note. After all, they were a team, resolved to stick and stay together, no matter what obstacles or trials they faced. As much as the Keybearer didn't like to admit it, he knew he had acted rashly, perhaps even foolishly in walking away from them like that, especially when, with just a little patience and compromise, they easily could have worked out a better solution, just like they always managed to do.

"Ugh, what am I doing…?" he asked himself, letting out an exasperated sigh as he ran a hand through his hair. "I should go back…"

"_**Should**_** you?" **

"Huh?" Sora froze, instantly glancing around for the source of this sudden, unknown voice, only to find not a single soul anywhere nearby. "Who-" The Keybearer flinched again, this time in pain as he felt something suddenly latch around his ankle, lightly digging into his skin. Glancing down, he found that it was a nothing more than a thorny vine, growing out of the surrounding foliage as it now coiled loosely around his leg. Sora thought little of it as he pulled himself out of the vine's grip with no trouble at all, however, what did concern him was that strange, mysterious voice from before continued speaking, almost as if it came from nowhere and everywhere all at once.

"**Why should you go back? Isn't there something important you need to do?"**

The Keybearer's brow furrowed as he listened, realizing that this voice sounded all-too familiar, though he couldn't exactly pin down how. Even so, he tentatively decided to answer it, unsure of where this bizarre, rather unsettling conversation may lead. "Y-yeah, but… I should apologize to Donald and Goofy first, they-"

"**Why? Its not like you even have anything to apologize for. You did nothing wrong!"**

By now, Sora had noticed that the same thorny vine from before had somehow managed to latch onto his leg once again, though this time, he didn't pull away from it. Instead, he remained still, starting down at it as it began to slowly creep upwards, its thorns bearing ever deeper into his skin to the point they were starting to draw blood. And yet, even still, he still didn't free himself from its grip, his mind drifting further and further away from what it was doing to him, and towards something else entirely.

"**Your friends, on the other hand, **_**they're **_**the ones who should apologize. They never listen, they never care, even when you're right and they're not."**

"N-no…" Sora tried to reason, not noticing his voice growing softer, weaker as he did. At the same time, the vines seemed to multiply, more and more crawling out of the forest to curl up, not just around his legs anymore, but around his arms as well. And yet, the pain their thorns brought him was only secondary when compared to the newfound pain starting to well up in his heart at the fear that everything he was hearing could very well be _true. _"That's not… t-they _do _listen, it's just-"

"**Its just they don't **_**trust **_**you. They don't think you know what's best. They don't **_**believe **_**in you. With friends like those, why not just be… **_**alone**_** instead?"**

The Keybearer shook his head, his breathing starting to grow tense and shallow as the vines pulled hard against him to the point that they were completely restraining him as they began to converge across his chest, tightening viciously all the while. Essentially poisoning him much like the growing doubts that the voice had already sown within his mind were rapidly starting to do. "N-no…" he tried again, his vision blurring as he struggled against the vines just the slightest bit, only for them to pull him down twice as hard in retaliation for his defiance. "I-"

"**What's the matter? Are you **_**afraid **_**of being alone? Are you **_**scared **_**that all your friends are going to leave you behind? Is the great **_**Hero **_**of the Keyblade really about to let himself succumb to such **_**pathetic **_**fears?"**

"No!" Sora shouted, a sudden burst of vicious fury, compelled by the voice, the vines, or something else altogether filling just about every last fiber of his being. The vines pulled him taunt as their tips inched up his neck and towards his face, drawing in dangerously close to his eyes as they flashed a sharp, warning yellow, one that seemed to ignite the entire surrounding forest in its haunting, golden glow.

"_**Then PROVE it!"**_

"I-" he struggled to speak, his heart turning almost agonizingly cold as sheer, shadowy darkness crept up his arms far faster than the vines had. Some small, still cognizant part of his mind was fully aware of what was going on, and yet was completely powerless to stop it as the choking vines and their relentless thorns had all but covered him completely. And all too quickly, the anger in his voice turned to anguish in those last few, fleeting seconds before it was gone completely. "I _CAN'T!"_

The echo of that final cry was all that remained as the Keybearer forcefully transformed, the oppressive darkness blanketing him like a shroud as it twisted and distorted him in every way imaginable. And as it did, the vines finally released him, recoiling back into the jungle to leave his heart trapped in a different, much more terrible kind of prison altogether.

"Now… you _can_…" Maleficent smirked triumphantly as she stepped out of the shadows of the forest she had been watching from. She took immense satisfaction in knowing that both her thorns and the manipulative magic behind them had worked perfectly, for sure enough, as the last of the vines cleared themselves away, she was able to get a better view of the prize both had won her. "Ah, so it _is _true," she grinned down at Sora, looking over his now-shadowy, almost animalistic form as he mindlessly glanced about, ready to attack. "Darkness really has taken a steady hold upon your heart… And there I was, thinking that you were of little consequence to my plans. Oh, how very wrong I was…"

The dark fairly let out a small, sadistic chuckle at this, one that the Keybearer reacted to harshly. Despite his now darkened instincts currently overriding any sense of awareness or identity, he still somehow recognized Maleficent for the threat he usually knew her to be. Which was why he hunched over, clawed hands digging into the soil as his bright, golden eyes glared up at her, his mouth splitting open into an unnaturally wide, fanged maw flooded with the exact same bright glow. Maleficent's steady smile disappeared as Sora hissed at her fiercely, clearly ready to lunge at her at a moment's notice, though even so, his ferocious manner hardly phased her cold confidence.

"Still just as frustratingly rebellious as ever, I see…" she glowered as she called upon her magical scepter, channeling her power through it. "Not a problem. With the right amount of power, such naive disobedience is a very _easy _thing to solve." At this, the dark fairy raised her staff, bright green magic converging around its tip. And as that magic swelled, soon enough it started to spark within the Keybearer's otherwise now-yellow, glowing eyes. However, that oppressive controlling power had only just started to take a hold of him before Sora abruptly snapped out of it, his violent instincts taking over as he finally made the move to attack Maleficent herself.

The dark fairy barely managed to block his sudden leap with her staff, genuinely surprised and perhaps even a bit alarmed as his claws tightly latched onto it as he mindlessly gnawed on it in a haphazard attempt at breaking it. Maleficent reacted instantly and harshly to this, swiftly swinging her staff aside and brutally throwing the corrupted Keybearer aside in the process. He hit the ground hard, though the crash hardly seemed to register as he quickly picked himself back up on all fours, growling ferally as he prepared to retaliate. Maleficent wasn't about to give him that chance, however, as she erected a steady magical barrier around herself and watching in bitter disgust as Sora tried his best to wildly claw his way through it. "Enough of this foolishness…" the dark fairy hissed, raising her staff yet again as magic swirled around it. "I command you to obey!"

"Sora!"

Maleficent stopped just short of attempting to force her control over the Keybearer again as this worried, unified call echoed through the surrounding jungle. "The king's fools…" she scowled, recognizing the captain and magician's voices as they shouted for their missing young companion yet again.

By now, Sora had clearly heard them to, his wide-eyed attention perked towards the distant, yet still quite close direction his friends had called for him from. Maleficent took pause as she noticed this, glaring down at the Keybearer before looking into the forest, half expecting Donald and Goofy to emerge from them at any moment. "This won't do…" the dark fairy muttered to herself crossly, briefly turning back to Sora, who was all but ignoring her in favor of the out of sight pair by this point. "I'll never get anything accomplished with those two roaming about. I need more time…"

She took a short moment to think this over, though ultimately, a new idea came to her quite quickly, one that would hopefully get her exactly what she was after _without _anyone showing up to interfere. "This isn't over, boy…" she warned the Keybearer as he finally snapped his frenzied gaze back over to her. "Mark my words that the next time we meet, the power you possess in that darkened form you've taken on shall be _mine _to control!" With this, Maleficent took her leave, laughing twistedly as she stepped into a dark corridor and leaving Sora alone.

Even so, he made another attempt at attacking the dark fairy, leaping to the spot she had been standing and clawing at it relentlessly even after she was gone. He did stop, however, as he realized this, his piercingly glowing eyes scanning the nearby jungle for any other living things he could find, all in pursuit of one simple, all-important thing alone:

_**Heart… Need… heart…**_

"Sora!" Donald's call sounded through the nearby jungle once more.

"Where are ya!?" Goofy joined in, clearly just as concerned as the magician was.

Once again, Sora focused his attention on this pair of voices, not recognizing the fact they were calling for him, but rather, what their arrival could give him instead.

_**Hearts… coming… must have… heart…**_

As Donald and Goofy drew in closer to his location, he could easily sense those hearts he so desperately craved. He let out a low, inhuman moan as he reached a clawed hand out towards the jungle before him, ready to claim those hearts as his own. Until…

_N-no… C-can't take hearts… Friends… _

Slowly and shakily, he lowered his hand, though in the process, he managed to catch a glimpse of it, shadowy and monstrous as it was. As _everything _about him currently was.

_S-stop__**… No… Can't stop… **_

He let out what almost sounded like a tight, pained cry, conflict coursing through him as his instincts went to war with the reason and emotions they had once buried, but were now fighting their way back up to the surface. He dropped to his knees, clawed hands pressed against his head as both violently struggled against him, threatening to tear him apart.

_**Can't stop… **__N-need to stop… __**Can't stop! **__Please… stop… __**WON'T stop! **__MUST stop! WILL STOP!_

And just like that, everything _did _stop.

As if something had forcibly pulled it right out of him, the darkness that had overtaken Sora at long last released him, forced back into the depths of his heart by his own force of will. Or rather, by the very real fear that he might, and very well could, hurt his friends. Weakened thanks to the energy the shadows had sapped away from him, the Keybearer completely collapsed to the ground, the multiple cuts Maleficent's vines had left him with still painfully present as he drifted in and out of consciousness. And it was in that listless state that Donald and Goofy finally found their young companion, and the moment they spotted him lying alone and injured on the forest floor, neither of them hesitated to race to his side.

"Sora!" the pair cried in frightened unison, both of them fretfully checking over his numerous cuts. None of them seemed very deep or serious, which made his current poor condition all the more confusing. Even so, Donald was quick to cast a hefty healing spell to take care of them, as well as restore Sora's obviously lost energy, allowing him to fully regain his consciousness much sooner than he would have otherwise.

Even so, he still slowly rose to sit up, assisted by Donald and Goofy on both sides and disoriented and bleary as he placed a hand against his head in an attempt to clear it. "I-I… what… w-when did you guys get here?" he asked, absolutely lost as he looked between his companions.

"Just now," Goofy replied worriedly. "We were lookin' all over for ya!"

"What happened?" Donald asked firmly, but clearly concerned. "How did you get hurt like that anyway?"

"Hurt? I-I don't…" Sora shook his head, glancing down at his hands and not remembering how they had been awash in darkness mere moments ago. In fact, he hadn't the faintest memory of anything that had just transpired at all. "I don't know…"

"Gawrsh, what do ya mean?" Goofy frowned.

"You're not trying to hide anything from us again, _are _you?" Donald asked, suspicious.

"N-no, I'm not!" Sora countered truthfully. "I really don't know! I… think I got caught up in some thorns or something? Other than that…" He trailed off, slowly realizing that there was only one other thing he could recall, one that chilled his heart as hints of that striking feeling began to fill him once again: fear. Fear so deep and crippling that it had overwhelmed him completely, to the point that he couldn't even remember what had happened after it had. But what he _did _remember was where that fear had come from, the simple question that had struck him right at his core in all the worst ways.

"**Are you **_**afraid **_**of being left alone?"**

He _was_, as much as he didn't want to admit it. For as long as he'd been able to remember, he'd always had his friends, be it Donald and Goofy or Riku and Kairi to stick by his side both in the good times and the bad. But the thought of having to make do without them, of having to stand against all of his countless foes completely _alone _shook the Keybearer in a way he couldn't even begin to describe. In truth, he wasn't entirely sure why it even bothered him so much to begin with, but it did. Which made the fact that he'd even so much as considered trying to go it alone out of sheer stubborn anger alone all the more ridiculous and outlandish.

"I… I'm sorry!" Sora suddenly exclaimed, abruptly changing the topic entirely. Donald and Goofy exchanged a startled glance at this, especially as they took note of the morose distress starting to well up in their young companion's eyes.

"A-about what?" Goofy asked, somewhat confused.

"About earlier…" Sora sighed, glancing away in shame. "I was upset and I-I wasn't thinking and I just… I thought that saving Kevin was the right thing to do. I guess I just… didn't like the thought of her being left… alone…" He couldn't help but let out a small, almost bitter laugh at this, knowing that the very same thought applied to himself as well. "But… maybe I was wro-"

"You were _right_."

"Huh?" Sora looked to Donald, surprised and confused upon hearing this admission.

"We all know just how important finding the Keys is," the magician explained, surprisingly patiently. "But… helping our friends is important too. Which is why we decided-"

"That if you wanna help Kevin, then so do we!" Goofy chimed in with a bright smile.

Briefly, Sora looked between his companions in apt amazement at this change of tune, though ultimately, he ended up breaking into a small, wry smile in spite of it. "But… isn't that 'meddling'?"

"You better believe it is!" Donald exclaimed.

"But if you wanna meddle, Sora," Goofy began, though Donald was quick to join him in a reassuring unison.

"Then _we _wanna meddle with you!"

The Keybearer was absolutely helpless to hold back a warm, comforted laugh at this, quickly jumping to his feet to pull both his companions into a tight, but more than welcome hug. "Alright," he said confidently, glad to not only be back on track, but back where he knew he belonged: with his friends. "Then let's meddle!"

* * *

It took the trio most of the rest of the night to finally get out of the jungle, though even as the sun began to rise over Paradise Falls, they still hadn't found any real signs of Muntz, Demyx, or Kevin alike. For all the knew, the Spirit of Adventure could have been long gone by now, far out of their reach regardless of its altitude. But even so, they refused to give up their search so easily, knowing that there had to be a way to set things somehow. Even if the _how _part of the equation was completely eluding them.

However, as they traversed the rocky landscapes of the mesas, they soon happened to notice that they were starting to draw closer to the majestic falls themselves. Though as they pressed onward towards them, something _else _soon became apparent as well.

"Hey!" Goofy exclaimed, spotting it first and immediately pointing it out. "Lookie, fellas! It's the house!"

Both Sora and Donald were quick to look towards the peak of Paradise Falls, where, sure enough, sat Carl's house, perched exactly where he'd always wanted it to be. They knew it wasn't really their primary mission, but none of them could really resist the urge to check up on both Carl and Russell, despite how harshly their last encounter might have gone. And so, that's exactly what they did, crossing the rocky expanse to make it to the house itself. Said house was only barely floating now, practically skimming the ground below it thanks to the sparse collection of balloons left keeping it afloat. It still bore the burn scars from the previous night, as well as the visible damage from the journey at large, and because of that, in many ways it looked hallow. Less like a home than ever had before.

All the same, the trio carefully stepped onto the weathered porch, curious to see if either Carl or Russell were indeed inside. The interior of the house itself was filled with a solemn sort of silence, though the reason for that silence soon became clear as they peered into its front room. Thanks to its long and perilous flight, the entire room was a bit of a mess, furniture and knick-knacks scattered across the floor, though two chairs had been carefully placed beside each other, and quite intentionally at that. And while one of those chairs was empty, in the other, sat Carl, an old scrapbook resting on his lap as he looked over it, tears on his eyes but a warm, happy smile on his face all the while.

"Carl?" Sora spoke up, aptly concerned upon seeing this.

"Oh!" Carl finally looked up from the scrapbook, his genuine smile staying on his face as he spotted the trio standing in the doorway. "Sora, Donald, Goofy! Come in, come in! I have something I want to show you boys." Although they were quite surprised by the Carl's stark change of attitude from the last time they'd seen him, the trio stepped into the room, curious to see where it might have come from.

"Is everything ok?" Donald asked as they stepped up to the elderly man.

"Heh, better than ok," Carl's smile widened as he held the scrapbook out for the trio to see. "This was my wife's adventure book. Ever since we were tykes, she'd always dreamed of bringing this old house here, to Paradise Falls, to stay. And I gotta admit, it was a pretty contagious dream. Problem is…" His grin finally faded into a bittersweet expression. "She never got to live that dream. So… I decided to live it for her. Its why I flew the house all the way out here, as crazy as I knew it all was. I thought… its what she would have wanted…"

The elderly man shook his head, both regret and contentment sparking in his eyes alongside the tears starting to well up in them once more. Slowly, he began to leaf through the back half adventure book, showing the trio a myriad of photos of the happily married life him and his wife had shared. From birthdays, anniversaries, picnics, even the most quiet and mundane moments, all the ups and downs of their time together had been carefully, lovingly cataloged until it all culminated on the book's final page. A simple photo of the two of them, happily sitting together in that very living room, with the last note she had left behind for him before her passing: _"Thanks for the adventure—now go have a new one! Love, Ellie."_

"I always thought I was never able to give Ellie the adventure she always wanted…" Carl sighed, placing a gentle hand over that message. "But… it turns out that _she _thought the life we had together, even as quiet and normal as it was, as the greatest adventure of all…" He let out a warm chuckle as he picked up Russell's sash, laid out on the chair next to him. "I guess you and Russell were right after all, Sora. The boring stuff-"

"Really _is _the stuff you remember the most," Sora finished with an earnest smile, him, Donald, and Goofy alike all deeply moved by the elderly man's touching tale. "Um… speaking of which, where is Russell?"

"You… didn't see him outside?" Carl asked, suddenly confused by this. Sora, Donald, and Goofy all shook their heads, prompting the elderly man out of his chair to check for the boy outside with the trio following not too far behind. "Russell?" he called, glancing around the flat landscape, only to not catch a glimpse of the Wilderness Explorer anywhere.

"Russell!" Sora shouted again as him, Donald, and Goofy stepped off the porch. "You out here?!"

A sudden startled gasp from Donald caught the others' attention as he frantically pointed up to the house's roof upon spotting something none of them had. "Look! Up there!"

"Russell!" Carl exclaimed, hurrying off the porch himself upon seeing exactly what the boy was up to. Russell had not only climbed up onto the roof, but had stolen several of the balloons tethered to it, tying enough of them to his pack to keep him afloat as he used a leaf blower to propel himself upward.

"I'm gonna help Kevin!" he shouted down at the elderly man, angry and determined as he lifted off. "Even if _you _won't!"

"No!" Carl cried, fearfully. "Russell, no!"

"Wait! Stop!" Sora called as him, Donald, and Goofy made an attempt at running after him.

"It's too dangerous!" the magician likewise warned, though by now, Russell had already flown off out of earshot.

"Gawrsh, what do we do now…?" Goofy wondered fretfully.

"W-we gotta stop him, or he'll end up getting himself killed!" Carl exclaimed, rushing back over to the house. "Come over here and help me get this house flying again!"

The trio didn't argue, hurrying to help the elderly man as he tried his hardest to lift the house up off the ground even just the slightest bit. However, even all four of them working together wasn't enough to get it to budge; the balloons had simply lost too much helium to keep such a heavy object flying.

"I-it's not working," Sora shook his head breathlessly as they paused for a break. "How are we supposed to-"

He was abruptly cut off by a frustrated shout from Carl as he suddenly threw a chair right off the front porch. The furniture smashed down onto the rocky ground hard, though as it did, the elderly man suddenly got an idea. One that he could only hope would get them back up in the air again somehow. "Quick! Fellas, get inside, grab whatever you can, and toss it out of the house!"

"What?!" the trio asked in unified alarm at such an odd request.

"I know it sounds crazy, but trust me," Carl urged quickly. "If we can make the house lighter, maybe it'll fly again. Which means we gotta get rid of any deadweight that we can."

"But… your stuff…" Sora frowned apprehensively.

"It's _just _stuff," Carl countered, leading the way inside. "Now, come on!"

Knowing that they didn't have any time to waste, the trio agreed, hurrying into the house to aid in the effort. They rushed through the home, picking up stored boxes, scattered books, and even small furniture first, before pitching all of it off the porch or out of windows. Still, that wasn't enough to lift the house much at all. So instead, they thought bigger. Together, they tossed chairs, tables, dresses, even a TV. They could feel the house start to pick up a bit after they worked together to throw the upstairs bed out, but even still, something was still holding it down. That is, until they gave the refrigerator a hearty shove off the porch. For as soon as they did, sure enough, the house was drawn back up into the air yet again, much to the group's unified elation.

"We did it!" Sora exclaimed excitedly as the house started to fly away from the falls with them in tow.

"Yahoo!" Goofy cheered, exchanging a high five with Donald over this victory.

"Good job, boys," Carl grinned as he took hold of the house's reigns in the front room to steer it. "But we're not finished yet. Let's go save Russell. _And _Kevin."

The trio let out another shared cheer at this, glad to know that Carl was on their side when it came to helping _all _of their friends this time. However, he wasn't the only one, for as they gained more altitude, their journey upwards was soon interrupted by, of all things, a knock on the door.

"Wha—who could that be when we're up this high?!" Donald asked, baffled as he looked out the window to the endless clouds below them.

"Wait a minute… Russell?" Carl wondered, hurrying to answer the door in the hopes that the boy had changed his mind about his hasty rescue mission. However, who he did find on his porch was more than enough to make him just as relieved. "Dug!"

The trio quickly joined Carl at the door at this, all three of them more than happy to see that the dog was alright after the last time they'd seen him in the jungle. Even so, Dug still seemed rather shy and ashamed, his ears drooping as he averted anyone's gaze. _"I was hiding under your porch because I love you," _he said sheepishly. _"Can I stay?"_

"Can you stay?" Carl grinned. "Well, you're my dog, aren't you? And I'm your master!"

"_You are my master?!" _Dug instantly perked up at this, lunging forward as he happily licked Carl's face several times over. _"Oh boy! Oh boy!"_

The others all got a much-needed laugh over the dog's eager show of affection, each of them taking turns to give him pets and praise over his loyal return. However, the levity could only last for so long. After all, there was work to be done, and as they rose ever higher towards the Spirit of Adventure, they all knew that work would be anything but easy flying.

* * *

"And they wouldn't believe me," Muntz scoffed harshly as he stood before his long sought-after prize, mesmerized by its magnificence. Kevin, on the other hand, was terrified, her eyes wide as they darted around the much too small cage she had been securely locked in. "Just wait till they get a look at you…"

"Alright, geezer, I helped you get your precious bird," Demyx spoke up from his spot in the corner of the room, his arms crossed and his expression bored as he leaned against the wall. "Now its time to hold up _your _end of the bargain."

"Ah, that's right, now what was it you wanted again?" Muntz only briefly glanced over his shoulder at the melodious nocturne. "Information?"

"Eh, nothing too big," Demyx shrugged. "All I need to know is a guy can find a certain special… Key around here and then I'll be out of your hair for good."

"Wait, you're looking for that strange Key too?" the adventurer asked incredulously. "Hmph, then you just wasted your time. I already told those… 'friends' of yours I haven't the faintest idea of where such a thing might be."

"Aw, _what_?!" the melodious nocturne exclaimed, instantly disappointed. "You mean I did all this work for _nothing_!? You could have just _told _me you didn't know from the get-go, ya crazy old coot!"

"Yes, but then I might not have gotten my hands on what _I _was after…" Muntz smirked smugly, turning his attention back over to the bird in front of him.

"Ugh… this really _is _the _worst _mission ever…" Demyx groaned with a heavy face palm. However, he didn't get much of a change to mull over his failure further before Alpha entered the room with urgent information for Muntz.

"_Master, the small mailman has returned."_

"What?" Muntz arched an eyebrow at this, understanding what this meant, even if he didn't understand how it was possible. All the same, the adventurer followed his head dog down to the gangplank room, with Demyx curiously following not too far behind. And sure enough, there his dogs had captured Russell, tying the struggling boy to a chair to keep him restrained. To his credit, the Wilderness Explorer _had _tried his best to be discreet in infiltrating the Spirit of Adventure to rescue Kevin, only to be discovered and apprehended almost instantly, much to his own frustration.

"You…" Muntz glowered down at the young boy.

"Let me go!" Russell shouted, kicking against his tight restraints. "Where are you keeping Kevin!?"

"Where is your elderly friend?" the adventurer asked coldly.

"He's not my friend anymore…" the boy glared down bitterly.

"O-oh yeah? Well, where's Sora and his pals?" Demyx asked, trying his best to be intimidating as he leaned down towards Russell. "They better not have come here with you, cause if they have… then I'm _out_ of here, there's _no_ way I'm letting those three beat me again!"

"Well, they were _supposed _to be here, but…" Russell trailed off with something of a disappointed frown, realizing that Sora hadn't exactly kept his promise to him like he'd hope. Or at least he hadn't as far as he knew.

"No matter," Muntz said dryly as he stepped off to the side of the room. "If you're here, then those three and Fredrickson can't be far behind."

"Y-you'd better let me go!" Russell warned. "Or I'll unleash all my Wilderness Explorer training!"

Muntz simply sneered at this as he prepared to throw a switch that would take care of his pesky guest for good. However, he stopped short upon glancing out of the nearest window to spot none other than an all too familiar flying house gliding straight towards his airship at impressive speeds. "Alpha!" he shouted urgently. "Fredrickson and his band of fools are coming back! Guard that bird. If you see the old man, you know what to do."

"_Yes, master!" _Alpha barked obediently, rushing off with a handful of his fellow dogs to secure the bird.

"Aw, man, they're _really _coming back?" Demyx shook his head in disbelief as he watched the flying house from the window. "How does this keep going from the worst mission ever to even _more _of the worst mission ever?! Wait…" He paused for a moment to think, before realizing that perhaps there was a way to use such a harrowing situation to his advantage after all. "Maybe this isn't such a bad thing after all…" The melodious nocturne grinned to himself as he called upon a dark corridor, hurrying into it so he could properly put his plan into action.

At the same time, Muntz also prepared to take his leave to attend to much more important matters, namely making sure that his bird _remained _his, no matter who tried to take it from him. "Hey! Where are you going?!" Russell shouted after him as he watched him leave. "I'm not finished with you!"

"Nice talking with you," Muntz said shortly, barely even regarding the boy outside of that as he pressed a button on the wall on his way out. Russell was more than prepared to continue resiliently struggling against his bonds to confront the adventurer and rescue Kevin. That is, until he realized exactly what that button had done. The boy gasped as he glanced down to see the floor reclining underneath him, light from the outside flooding in as the ramp he was sitting on opened up to reveal the open, endless sky below. A sky that he would certainly, dangerously plummet out of in just a few short seconds if nothing was done to free him from this perilous spot.

* * *

With its weight significantly reduced as it was, it didn't take long for the house to catch up to the Spirit of Adventure, even as high up in the air as it was. On the way up, the entire group prepared themselves for whatever inevitable skirmish might await them, including Carl, who'd donned Russell's sash to hang his cane from; a makeshift weapon, to be sure, but a weapon all the same. Even so, the entire group alike had resolved to not touch solid ground again until they had both Russell and Kevin safely back again.

"Ok," Sora began, peering out the window towards the dirigible they were steadily approaching. "How do we get in?"

Carl paused, looking over the ship himself for any possible exterior entrances as he steered the house in closer. However, it quickly became apparent that he wouldn't have to find one as a very familiar, very frightened scream suddenly echoed through the open air.

"Russell!" the entire group in the house exclaimed, alarmed as they spotted the boy from afar. As tied down as he was, Russell was powerless to keep himself from sliding down the dirigible's ramp as it opened wider, inching closer to its edge and to a deadly fall with each passing second.

Acting quickly, Carl swung the house downward towards the ramp before joining Sora, Donald, and Goofy on the porch. Together, the group tossed the garden hose at the ramp's railing, managing to latch it and tether it to the blimp. And from there, Carl leapt into action first, using the hose as something of a zipline as he used his cane to cross over to the ship, catching Russell's chair just as it slid off the ramp's edge.

The trio let out a shared sigh of relief as they watched this, not hesitating to crank the hose in to bring the house closer to the blimp. As soon as they did, Carl carried Russell over to it, not bothering to untie him as he firmly set him down in the home's front hall.

"You came back for Kevin!" Russell exclaimed excitedly, more than happy for the timely save. "You guys _all_ came!"

"Of course, we did," Sora grinned down at the boy confidently. "And I _meant _what I said earlier. We're gonna save her, no matter what."

"Yeah!" Russell cheered, wriggling in his seat. "Let's do it!"

"No, not you," Carl shook his head firmly. "_We'll _go save Kevin. You stay here!"

"B-but I wanna help!"

"I don't want your help!" the elderly man argued. "I want you _safe._"

"And so do we," Sora readily agreed, refusing to see another one of their friends put in harm's way, especially as one as young and vulnerable as Russell. "In fact… Donald, Goofy, can you guys stay here and keep Russell and the house safe?"

"Ya bet we can!" Goofy nodded vigorously.

"But only if _you _make sure to be careful in there!" Donald added pointedly.

"I think we can manage that," Sora chuckled, Carl grinning as he nodded his agreement while Dug eagerly wagged his tail. And with that, they leapt back over to the dirigible while Donald, Goofy, and Russell stayed behind. Even if the latter among those three already began to struggle against his still-tied bonds as soon as the captain and magician had their backs turned.

At the same time, Sora, Carl, and Dug managed to slip up the ramp and into the airship itself. Fortunately, no dogs were on patrol in the immediate vicinity, but even so, the trio made sure to stay on their guard as they began working their way down the halls. Dug took the lead, knowing the ship's layout well, and sure enough, he was the first one to point out the room Muntz had caged Kevin in. A room that, of course, was heavily guarded by the entire force of the adventurer's dogs.

To avoid being spotted, the group tucked away behind a wall just shy of the hallway leading up to said room to give themselves a much-needed moment to strategize. "How do we get past these dogs?" Carl whispered, carefully peering around the corner.

"_Point!" _Dug did just that, pointing towards a nearby grate in the wall. One that led to the ship's ventilation system.

"You guys go," Sora urged the pair, grinning as he pulled his Gummiphone out of his pocket. "I've got an idea."

While they weren't entire sure what the Keybearer's supposed idea was, Carl and Dug did as he said, taking to the shafts and sneaking their way past the room full of dogs in the process. At the same time, Sora remain pressed hiding against the wall, fiddling with his phone for a bit until he got it to do exactly what he wanted to do: play a ringtone that just so happened to sound very much like a loud, ringing doorbell.

"_Is that the door?!" _one of the dogs in the nearby room exclaimed.

"_Someone is at the door!" _another dog barked excitedly, the others soon joining in on the instinctual mania as well.

"_Who is at the door?!" "Answer the door, answer the door!" "DOOR!"_

Sora couldn't help but grin slyly as he watched this, holding his phone close as he remained hiding, even as the dogs all rushed past him in full, frantic force to greet whoever was at the "door". Just as soon as they'd cleared him, he quickly turned, hurrying into the now unsecured room where Kevin was at the same exact moment Carl and Dug emerged from the vents to arrive on top of her cage.

"Wha-how'd you clear all those dogs out?" Carl asked, impressed to see Sora down below.

"One word," the Keybearer smirked as he held his phone up. "Doorbell." As soon as he presented his phone, of course, Kevin instantly got excited, letting out a bright cry as she tried to reach for it, even despite her current imprisonment. "Heh, good to see you too, Kevin," Sora chuckled warmly. "You still can't have my phone though, sorry."

"Don't worry, girl," Carl called down to the bird from above. "We'll get you outta here. Is it locked?" he asked Sora on the ground.

"Yeah," the Keybearer nodded, noting the rather large lock on the cage in front of him. "But its nothing I can't handle." Not skipping a beat, Sora summoned his Keyblade, ready to use it on the lock to finally set Kevin free. That is, until Dug interrupted with a stark warning call.

"_Wait!" _the dog nodded back towards the door, spotting another patrol of dogs approaching from afar. Naturally, Carl and Sora both panicked, especially the Keybearer as he realized he'd easily be spotted first. Kevin seemed to realize this too as she let out a small, subtle coo to catch Sora's attention before hunkering down to sit in her cage and repeatedly nod behind her. It took him a moment to figure out what she was trying to communicate, but when he did, he didn't hesitate to take advantage of the surprisingly clever cover she was providing him with.

"_Allow no one to be entering through these doors," _Alpha instructed as he led the newest pack of dogs into the room. _"Guard well that bird, my minions."_

As the dogs took up their post, Carl cast a brief worried glance down at Sora, who'd managed to successfully hide behind Kevin's cage just in time. But even if none of them had been spotted yet, that still didn't mean they were anywhere close to being in the clear. "What do we do now, Dug?" the elderly man whispered, only to receive no response from his furry companion. Instead, Dug was full focused on the end of his cane, happily chewing away at the tennis ball at its base. And as Carl saw this, it gave him exactly the idea he needed to get them out of this tight spot.

"Hey!" Carl shouted, emerging from his own hiding spot as he tapped the top of the cage with his cane. Of course, the entire collection of dogs spun around to face him at this, and likewise, Sora also peered out from behind Kevin, curious to see what the elderly man had in mind. Carl, on the other hand, simply grinned as he took the tennis ball off his cane and waved it around for all the dogs to see. "Who wants the ball?"

"_Me!" _The dogs instantly erupted into a noisy frenzy, every last one of them clamoring for the prize above them. _"I do!" "I want the ball!"_

"Then go get it!" Carl threw the ball hard down the hall, prompting all of the dogs to go after it to the point that they were practically tripping over each other to fetch it. They inevitably got stuck as they crowded against each other into the hallway, but one of them still managed to catch it all the same. Yet despite this, the dogs were quick to turn around to return to the task at hand, only to realize their mistake upon seeing both Carl and Sora proudly standing at the door they were _supposed _to be guarding.

"Nice catch!" the Keybearer teased with a bright wave right before Carl slammed the door shut on them all. And then, without any hesitation, they hurried back to Kevin's cage, wasting no time in unlocking it before letting her out so they could figure out a proper plan of escape. Though even as they did, what none of them realized was that escape wouldn't come as easily as they'd hoped.

* * *

As Donald and Goofy tended to the house's controls to ensure that it wouldn't disconnect from the blimp, they'd largely left Russell to his own devices. A mistake they all too quickly realized as he finally managed to break out of the rope keeping him tied to the chair. The only problem was, that he'd just so happened to have lurched onto the very edge of the porch as he did.

Russell let out a startled cry as he suddenly tumbled back into a freefall, though miraculously he managed to catch onto the hanging garden hose in an attempt to save himself. The house jolted as it became detached from the dirigible, something that Donald and Goofy immediately felt from inside of it.

"What was that?!" the magician exclaimed, looking out the window only to see they were gaining some distance away from the dirigible. "Wha—oh no! Goofy, we've gotta-"

"Uh… Donald?" Goofy interjected much more calmly as he looked behind him. "Weren't you supposed to be watchin' Russell?"

"What? No, _you _were! Why?"

"C-cause he's gone!" the captain exclaimed, frantically pointing to the hallway where the Wilderness Explorer no longer was. The pair equally panicked at this and rushed onto the porch, where it didn't take them very long to spot Russell and the dire strait he was currently in as he precariously hung several down from the house using just the hose alone.

"Russell!" Donald called from above, frustrated and concerned. "What do you think you're doing?!"

"I-I wanted to help Kevin!" Russell shouted back up, holding onto the hose for dear life.

"Gawrsh, sorta sounds like Sora, huh?" Goofy noted to the magician, who simply groaned in loud exasperation.

"Hold on tight!" Donald yelled back down to Russell, grabbing ahold of the hose. "We'll pull you back up!"

Russell nodded, ready to receive the aid they were offering him. However, that aid wouldn't be so easily given for just as soon as they began to crank him back up towards the house, an all peril was added onto the already perilous situation they were already in.

"Alright, hold it steady…" Donald urged, both him and Goofy trying their best to be careful, lest Russell fall to his doom. Until…

"Look out!" the captain cried, suddenly letting go of the crank to take out his shield instead. The magician gasped, grasping the hose out of surprise, only to look over and see exactly what Goofy was shielding them from. A trio of small spitfire planes had emerged from the dirigible, each of them piloted by Muntz' dogs as they honed in on the house, firing off poison darts at it all the while. The captain's shield had managed to catch a few of these, but it soon became apparent that they weren't what the dogs were aiming for. Rather, their target was the much too small and still quite dwindling supply of balloons that were keeping them up in the air to begin with.

Russell let out a fearful cry, ducking down against the hose as several of the darts nearly hit him. However, he was the first to notice that the planes weren't the only thing they had to worry about. For unfortunately, they had backup in the form of a barrage of Nobodies, each of them flying high in their own twisted sort of aircraft as they soared around the house in rapid, violent succession. Their target was very obviously the pair on the porch as well as the boy hanging far below it as they fired off their energy-based projectiles, only barely missing their mark thanks to Goofy's shield.

"_Really_?!" Donald asked in apt annoyance over this double threat. "They have to attack us _right now?!_"

"You worry about pullin' Russell back up," Goofy said, holding his shield steady against the onslaught. "I'll hold 'em off!"

"Aye aye, captain!" the magician readily saluted, moving over to the crank to do just that. "Hold still down there, Russell! We'll have you back up here in no time!"

Russell flinched as one of the flying Nobodies suddenly zoomed past him, just narrowly missing him by a hair of an inch. "Uh… could we maybe make it sooner than that?!"

* * *

As a battle began to wage outside in the air, back inside the Spirit of Adventure itself, Sora, Carl, and Dug continued on their rescue mission, sneaking past several more hordes of dogs as they carefully guarded Kevin all the while. It really had seemed as though they evaded notice, for soon enough, they knew they'd make it back out to the ramp and out to the house and to safety once again. However, what they didn't see as they crept into the trophy room was the lone figure standing in the shadows behind the door, even as he pulled one of the several swords off of a display on the wall. And yet, just as he raised this deadly blade to attack the unsuspecting group from behind, one among them _did _manage to catch onto the surprise assault at just the right moment.

Dug instantly spun around, not hesitating to chomp down on his former master's leg with all his might. Muntz' pained cry instantly alerted Sora and Carl as they turned just in time to see the adventurer kick Dug out of the room entirely. Even so, Muntz turned back around to see that his foes weren't about to back down against him so easily. Sora had already summoned his Keyblade, holding it defensively as he stood to protect Kevin, Carl moving to do the same exact thing, despite his relative lack of a weapon.

"You're picking a fight you _really _shouldn't be, boy," Muntz warned, gripping his sword tightly as he glared at the Keybearer. "Same to you, Fredrickson. Both of you, stand down and hand over the bird. I'm taking it back dead or alive!"

"Not a chance!" Sora shot back defiantly, fully ready to fight if he had to.

"Oh really?" The entire tension of the room was suddenly broken as a dark corridor formed on the far side of it. Demyx stepped out, a smug, knowing grin on his face and his manner surprisingly calm, all things considered. "You wouldn't back off… even if a _Key _was on the line?"

"What…?" Sora asked, glancing over at the melodious nocturne in apt confusion.

"Ugh, _you're _still here?" Muntz asked, rolling his eyes at his rather unwelcome partner. "Can't you see that I'm in the middle of something _very _important that you're _interrupting_?!"

"Oh, sorry to be rude, old-timer," Demyx remarked coolly. "I'll make this quick. Just wanted to drop by to say that I got what I came here for, so I guess I'll be on my way."

"Wait, _what_?!" Sora exclaimed, absolutely baffled and equally dismayed upon hearing this. "No way. _You _got the Key?! But _how_?!"

"Oh, it's a _loooong _story, not worth the time to bog you down with all the details," Demyx grinned, his hands held behind his back. "All you need to know is that I _totally _got it. And that I'm getting ready to haul it on back to the Organization with me, even as we speak."

"Not on my watch you're not!" Sora shouted, raising his Keyblade as he rushed for the melodious nocturne largely without thinking. And in the process, inadvertently leaving both Carl and Kevin completely defenseless against Muntz.

From there, the room more or less erupted into chaos with two battles unfolding at the exact same time. While Sora more or less chased Demyx through the maze of collected fossils and artifacts, Muntz did the same for Carl, albeit at a much slower pace. While Carl initially only narrowly dodged the adventurer's fierce, vengeful swings, he soon began fighting back with his cane; not exactly the best weapon he could have wielded at a time like this but still a weapon all the same. The brawls caused quite a bit of damage to the various trophies lining the room, though no one, not even Muntz seemed to care as the dangerous chases continued.

"Aw, what's the matter, Sora?" Demyx taunted as he hid out of the Keybearer's reach behind a large skeleton. "Are ya mad that I managed to snag that Key before you and your buddies could?"

"I won't be after I take it back from you!" Sora countered harshly, casting a sizable fire spell to knock the fossil down entirely. Demyx flinched back in fear at this a bit, though as he glanced at the window beside him, he quickly got another idea.

"We'll just see about that," he grinned, summoning a dark corridor behind him. "But for now… why don't we take this _outside_?" Just before he stepped into his portal, Demyx pointed upward, clearly motioning to the top of the dirigible as he took his leave through it. Sora immediately got the hint, and though he suspected this could very well be a trap, he couldn't simply let the melodious nocturne get away so easily, especially not with one of the Keys in hand.

"Hey!" Sora called to Carl and Kevin as they just so happened to rush past him, still clearly on the run from Muntz. "I'm sorry, but… I've gotta go after Demyx. Will you guys be ok in here without me?"

"As ok as we can get, all things considered," Carl remarked with a wry smirk, somewhat short of breath amidst the struggle he'd been putting up. "Go get that darn Key or whatever it is you're after, kid. I've got this covered."

"Right," Sora nodded, glad to see that Carl could surprisingly enough hold his own so well, even despite his age. After exchanging one more affirming nod with the elderly man, the Keybearer pried open the nearest window, spotting a rung ladder right beside it that led all the way up the side of the airship. And hopefully, all the way to its top.

The elevated winds were rushing hard and fast outside of the dirigible, but Sora forced himself to pay them no mind as he managed to get his footing on the ladder. Briefly, he glanced out at the open sky behind him, only to catch sight of the house, no longer attached to the airship as it instead floated freely. Even more alarming was the fact that it was under attack by Muntz' dogs and a pack of Nobodies alike, all of them trying to take it down. For a moment, Sora considered putting his current objective on hold to fend off these attackers, but he soon realized he didn't have to as he spotted Donald and Goofy doing exactly that from its porch, having successfully pulled Russell back onto it. Assured that his friends could handle themselves, the Keybearer continued upward, tirelessly climbing all the way until he reached the very top of the dirigible, where, sure enough, Demyx casually awaited.

"There you are!" he goaded, largely ignoring Sora's attempt to catch his lost breath from such an exhausting climb. "I thought you'd _never _get up here! But hey, for your trouble, here's a fun fact! I… don't actually have that Key I was talking about earlier."

"Y-you… _WHAT_?!" Sora practically shouted, infuriated at the melodious nocturne's deception and how he'd so easily fallen for it.

"Whoa, has anyone ever told you that you look a _lot _like Roxas when you're angry?" Demyx asked, surprised, yet slightly nervous. "M-makes sense, I guess, but still, don't be mad!"

"You just made me climb all the way up here only to find out you _don't _even have the Key!" the Keybearer exclaimed hotly. "Of _course, _I'd be mad about that!"

"Aw, you're overreacting," the melodious nocturne waved his hand dismissively. "Besides, if all this works out, then at least _one _of us will be walking out of this world with that Key pretty soon. Though, just for the record, that's gonna be _me_."

"Ugh, enough!" Sora countered, calling upon his Keyblade out of sheer frustration. "What are you even talking about?!"

"Eh, might just be easier to show you instead," Demyx grinned, his own weapon showing up in his hands. Dramatically, he strummed a loud and powerful note on his sitar, one that managed to open a vast portal of darkness in the open sky high above him. And out of that portal flew a massive Nobody, with a slender, almost elegant body colored in rich shades of bright blue. It was almost like a bird, keeping itself afloat with wide wings composed entirely of water as it let out a high pitched, terrible screech. "Hope you like it," Demyx grinned up at this creature with smug satisfaction. "Had it whipped up especially for you, so don't go let it go to waste. I'll be rooting for ya!"

With an almost mocking wave, the melodious nocturne retreated through a dark corridor just as the monstrous Nobody came to hover just above the dirigible. It howled once more, its wings wide as it geared itself up to attack the Keybearer standing before it. Even so, Sora stood his ground, gripping the Kingdom Key tightly as he prepared for the battle ahead, though as he did, the fact quickly dawned on him that he essentially had no backup in it to speak of. As distracted as Donald and Goofy currently were with defending the house, they couldn't very well lend him much aid, and likewise Carl was obviously busy dealing with Muntz. And while normally the Keybearer wouldn't have minded going alone against a mere Nobody such as this, he was all too painfully aware that he'd still yet to fully regain his usual strength, even despite his tireless efforts to do so. And even beyond that, that lone, chilling question still hung in the back of his mind, haunting him for reasons he couldn't even begin to explain, even at a decisive, dangerous moment such as this:

"**Are you **_**afraid **_**of being left alone?"**

Sora quickly shook his head to clear it of such thoughts, managing to skillfully deflect the Nobody's first aquatic blast in the process. It didn't matter if he _was _alone in this fight, it was a fight he still needed to win all the same. Which was why he threw himself into it full force, evading another attack as he launched one of his own. Since the Nobody was out of his reach for any direct hits, he cast a steady blizzard spell at it in the hopes of freezing its watery wings solid to bring it down to his level. And sure enough, the tactic worked, though only partially as one of its wings froze up, leaving the creature's flight staggered and awkward as it struggled to maintain its elevation. Even so, Sora saw a perfect opportunity in this, especially as the frozen wing bore low towards him thanks to its newfound heavy weight. With his Keyblade at the ready, he rushed in, deftly hopping onto the solid wing and running up it towards the Nobody's body, ready to land a heavy direct hit squarely against its head. However, mere seconds before he could, the creature violently retaliated, lashing out with its unfrozen wing as it somehow turned its entire body over. In the process, not only did Sora find himself on the rather brunt end of a very strong slap of water, but as he fell sideways off of the Nobody's wing, he all-too quickly _literally _fell victim to something far worse.

Somehow, the entire dirigible had lurched to the side, shifting its otherwise nearly flat top entirely. And as a result, when Sora fell back down towards it, he found that there was no real steady surface for him to land on. Instead, he hit the rounded side of the airship hard, his Keyblade knocked out of his hand altogether by the impact before it ultimately disappeared as a result of his newfound panic. For as the airship was finally righted itself once more, the Keybearer quickly began to slip, unable to find anything at all to grasp onto.

Which, of course, was how he ended up falling off of the airship entirely.

The most Sora could do was gasp, absolutely shocked as the wild winds ultimately ended up prying him away from the dirigible, sending him plummeting away from it through the open air. The initial aftermath almost felt slow, breathless and chilling until the reality set in that he was falling. He was falling, and with each passing second the Spirit of Adventure and the house and _everything _else was rising further and further out of his reach as gravity steadily dragged him down to the incredibly distant ground below, a ground that he couldn't even _see _thanks to the thick layer of clouds obscuring it from view. And naturally, as he drew closer and closer to that ground and the deadly impact he'd no doubt face with it, he could do nothing else but panic.

Briefly, he desperately looked around, trying to find something, _anything _that could at the very least forestall his fall and give him a moment to _think_, to figure out how to save himself before it was too late. And yet, as he began to pass through the clouds themselves, he quickly, starkly, _painfully _realized there was no way to save himself. And not just from this dire strait either. There was no stopping this, there was no stopping the Organization, no stopping Xehanort, **no stopping **_**himself**_**. **Indeed he was falling, but not just through the finite sky. He was falling into the lies he'd told, the secrets he was keeping, the shadows he tried struggling against, the darkness residing in his very own heart. And the absolute worst, most terrifying part of this endless, agonizing fall

Was that he was falling completely, entirely **alone. **

And yet… just as that horrific thought sunk in, and just as he got his first glimpse at the vast landscape he was falling towards through the clouds, everything… _stopped_. His fall froze, the rushing winds silenced, and the skies of blue above him and the sprawling green below him disappeared. In their place, Sora found himself surrounded by an otherworldly, undoubtedly familiar golden light. And amidst that light sounded a voice he voice he knew he'd heard before, presenting him with yet another cryptic question, just as it had before.

"_Are you afraid?" _

His breathing shuddered at this as he realized that whatever this unknown force was, it'd somehow seen right through him entirely, looking straight into his heart and all of dread and fears harbored within it. Which was why he didn't even try to lie to it. Instead, he offered it what he knew was the sheer, honest truth, however shameful that truth might have been.

"Y-yes," he choked, fighting back the frightened tears welling up in his eyes. "I am." Those tears were instantly driven away, however, as the world around him flashed radiantly, rewarding his honesty with the very prize he'd come to this world looking for in the first place.

When Sora's vision finally cleared, he instantly realized two things. The first, was that somehow, by some miracle or something else entirely, he wasn't falling through the air anymore. Instead, he was _rising_. And as he glanced up to his upheld hand, he was able to see exactly what it was that was steadily, safely, propelling him upward.

"The Key!" he gasped, stunned as he took in the sight of the glittering Keyblade held in his grasp. It bore the same sort of sacred radiance as the first Key he'd found, albeit with a bit of a different design, but even so, its untainted might was without question, especially as it guided him back up towards some form of solid ground.

At the same time, Donald and Goofy were still deeply embroiled in their struggle against the flying dogs and Nobodies alike, with the captain blocking their strikes while the magician retaliated with spell after spell. However, even as they did, Goofy just so happened to spot something—something that seemed rather small from their current point of view—steadily falling from the far side of the dirigible. "Say…" the captain frowned, squinting to get a better view. "Isn't that-"

"Sora!" Donald shouted, aptly alarmed as he looked towards the Keybearer. "H-He's falling! Goofy, hurry! We've gotta-"

"Wait…" Goofy stopped him before he could rush back into the house. "He's _not_ fallin'… In fact, if I didn't know any better, I'd say it almost looks like he's got-"

"The Key?!" the pair exclaimed in baffled unison, watching with both amazement and pride as said Key carried Sora all the way back up to the Spirit of Adventure. However, as relieved as they were to see him land safely, they were quick to catch onto the fact that not all was well.

"Whoa…" Russell mused, aptly impressed by the Keybearer's ascent. "I don't know how Sora did that, but it was so _cool_!"

"Russell!"

"Huh?" Russell blinked, looking back down to the side of the airship upon this call. There, Carl was hurrying up the side of the dirigible, trying his best to escort Kevin up towards the top, despite Muntz relentlessly perusing them all the while. The elderly man briefly met eyes with the boy before letting out a familiar string of wild animal noises that he immediately recognized: the Wilderness Explorer call.

Understanding Carl's call for help, Russell nodded firmly, determined to bring this frantic attack to an end once and for all. So far, he hadn't really been involved in the fray thanks to Donald and Goofy insisting he take refuge inside the house as soon as they pulled him back up to it. But now, he ignored their warnings, venturing onto the porch to let out a solid shout to the trio of biplanes that were all too quickly starting to close in. "Hey! Squirrel!"

"Huh?" Donald and Goofy looked back to him, absolutely confused, that is until they saw exactly what this ploy was doing.

"_Squirrel?!"_

"_Where's the squirrel?!" _the dogs piloting the planes instantly lost their focus, frantically searching the skies for any sign of said 'squirrel'. To try and catch it, they dove their planes down, inevitably crashing them in the process and taking out the last of the flying Nobody ships as well. And while the creatures hadn't made it, the dogs had, parachuting out of their planes as they shared their disappointment over both their failed mission, and the squirrel they now knew they'd never catch.

"_I HATE squirrels!"_

With the air assault finally ended, Donald, Goofy, and Russell rushed back into the house, turning it towards the dirigible to provide some much-needed aid. At the same time, Sora managed to regather his bearings atop the airship, where the winged Nobody was still very much apparent and still very much on the attack. By now, its wing had thawed out, and as the Keybearer returned, it was clear that it sought vengeance against him for freezing it in the first place. However, this time, Sora was more than ready to face it.

With the newly claimed Key in hand, he rushed for the Nobody, leaping high for a direct assault. The Key's power gave him a proper boost, allowing him to make a precise, heavy strike that sent the monster reeling backwards, though the Keybearer gave it no time to recover. While the Nobody tumbled backward, Sora fired off a potent flame spell, the Key seeming to amplify his magic several times over to wither down the creature's wings exponentially. As it began to collapse towards the dirigible, light swelled around the Key's tip, prompting Sora to aim it straight for the Nobody head on. And just before the creature could hit the ship full force, he unleashed this powerful attack, a blinding blast strong enough to send the now flightless Nobody careening over the edge of the ship. With its wings obliterated, all it could do was plummet straight through the clouds, wildly screeching all the while until it inevitable dissipated into the very nothingness it had been made from.

As Sora watched the monstrous Nobody finally disappear, he allowed himself a much-needed sigh of relief, especially as he looked over the powerful Key in his possession. His excitement over miraculously claiming it, however, was soon interrupted by a familiar bark from down below. The Keybearer hurried over to its source, peeking down to the dirigible's nearby wing to sure enough spot Dug happily reuniting with Carl and Kevin atop it. Fortunately, Muntz was nowhere to be found, and even better yet, the house was drawing in towards them, Russell perched on the porch as Donald and Goofy steered it towards them.

"Russell!" Carl grinned, aptly relieved to see the boy was alright.

"Mr. Fredrickson!" Russell called back with an excited wave.

"Donald! Goofy!" Sora happily called to his companions, leaping down onto the wing himself.

"Sora!" the pair returned, equally relieved as they rushed out to the porch to meet him.

"You got the Key!" Goofy quipped brightly.

"Yep! Sure did!" the Keybearer smirked proudly, brandishing the glimmering weapon. "And all it took was me nearly falling to my death. Who knew?"

"Don't make that a habit," Donald deadpanned. "_Please_."

The entire group shared a warm laugh over this, though they were quick to get back to the task at hand as Carl and Sora worked to hoist Kevin up onto the porch, minding her injuries all the while. With the bird safely aboard, the pair began to climb up themselves… only to be sharply blocked by a thunderous boom instead.

Out of nowhere, a bullet blasted its way into several of the balloon strings, letting far too many of them loose for comfort. The house collapsed down onto the wing as a result, Carl and Sora both knocked back by impact, allowing them to see exactly where that bullet had come from in the first place.

A wild, frenzied look was on Muntz' face as he marched towards the group and the house, a long rifle in his hands as he prepared to do whatever he had to to take back his bird. While Sora readily rose to fend the adventurer off, Carl realized they had another problem entirely on their hands. The house no longer had enough balloons to keep it afloat; and not only that, but it was _slipping _off the edge of the wing, with Kevin, Russell, Dug, Donald, and Goofy all still inside.

"No!" Carl cried, instantly grabbing onto the hose to keep the house from falling. Unfortunately, his strength wasn't enough to keep it steady as it began to drag him along too. Sora immediately abandoned his defensive pose upon seeing this, instead taking up the hose as well and planting himself firm as he helped Carl hold it tight. And while this left them both relatively defenseless from Muntz, it soon became quite apparent that neither of them was what he was after.

Instead, he made a beeline for the house, aiming his rifle right at it as he continued shooting, nicking its wooden surface as he took aim for the group gathered inside it. In an attempt at protecting them, Donald had shut the front door and locked it before Goofy gathered everyone behind his shield, though it was clear even that wouldn't do them much good if Muntz actually made it to the house to get a close-ranged shot. A fact that Carl and Sora both realized as they did everything they could to keep the house from falling.

"S-stop!" Carl practically begged tightly. "Get away from them!"

"Leave them alone!" Sora demanded much more fiercely, wishing he could actually _stop _this madman but knowing that he couldn't, lest the house and his friends be lost entirely.

Muntz acknowledged neither of them as he stormed onto the porch, slamming the door repeatedly with the butt of his rifle in a wild attempt at opening it. The group inside had tucked themselves away as far back in the corner of the den as they could, but it was clear there would be no hiding from the adventurer's insane wrath. To make matters even worse, the amount of pressure being placed against the wench holding the hose in place was all too quickly starting to bend it, threatening to rip free from the house entirely. Even so, Sora and Carl struggled to hold on, working against fear and fatigue in the hopes that their friends could somehow manage to make it out and escape Muntz in time. And, just as the adventurer finally kicked the door straight in, Carl happened to come up with an idea that would allow them to do just that.

"Everyone!" he shouted to the group inside. "Hold onto Kevin! Don't let go of her!"

Naturally, everyone was confused at such a strange command, including Sora as he glanced back at the elderly man in bewilderment. Still, Carl nodded, confident in his plan, even as Muntz approached the group, his sights and his rifle set on Kevin. Until…

"Kevin! Chocolate!"

At the very sight of the tantalizing chocolate bar Carl was holding up for her, Kevin lunged, taking Russell, Dug, Donald, and Goofy with her as she roughly shoved her way right past Muntz, knocking his weapon out of his hands. At the same time, everything else seemed to happen at once: the hose's caddy snapped, entirely separating it from the house just as Kevin leapt through its front window in the hopes of latching onto the other end of the hose. Vengeful as ever, Muntz jumped after them, refusing to let his prize go so easily. Though as he did, a handful of stray balloon strings entangled themselves around his leg, pulling him back just as the house slipped over the edge of the wing. The adventurer hung for only a moment, his eyes growing wide as he realized there were far too balloons to actually keep him afloat.

And just like that, he fell, much like the winged Nobody had before him, until he and his vicious, greedy intents were lost to the vast sea of clouds below him entirely.

In the breathless aftermath that followed, both Carl and Sora continued clinging onto their end of the hose, fearfully peering over the edge of the wing, where things were far too quiet for comfort. That is, until the other end of the hose swung out to reveal the elderly man's plan had worked after all.

"That was cool!" Russell cheered excitedly. "Let's do it again!"

"No! Let's not!" Donald fussed, clinging onto both Kevin and the hose for dear life.

Even so, the others all laughed, overwhelmed with relief for such a successful save. Carl and Sora didn't waste any time in pulling the others back up to safety. _"Oh, I am ready to not be up high," _Dug remarked as he jumped back onto the wing.

"Tell me about it…" Donald grumbled tiredly, falling back onto the wing himself as Goofy and Sora let out a shared, amused chuckle.

The round of relieved celebrations was soon interrupted, however, by a most unwelcome arrival as a dark corridor opened on the far side of the wing. Demyx stepped out of it, obliviously confident that his plan had succeeded, until he happened to spot the group in front of him. Just about everyone had nothing but contemptuous glares for the melodious nocturne, and even Dug hunkered down and let out a low, threatening growl at him. Even so, Demyx took pause, glancing around as he tried to catch up on just how much he had missed in his retreat.

"Uh… where's the giant Nobody I sent up here?" he asked, confused.

"I beat it," Sora said, point blank, his expression and tone both absolutely deadpan.

"Oh," Demyx said stiffly before noticing the shimmering Key in Sora's hand. "Is… that the Key?"

"Yeah?"

"...Can I have it?"

"No!" the Keybearer scoffed firmly.

"Aw, come on!" Demyx groaned pleadingly. "You can't honestly expect me to go back empty-handed! I'll be the biggest laughing stock of the Organization! N-not that I already am to begin with, 'cause I'm totally not!"

"Really?" Sora couldn't help but snicker at this, Donald and Goofy easily joining in. "'Cause ya could've fooled us."

"Yeah," Goofy chuckled. "You tryin' to get the Key before us _was _pretty funny."

"Especially just now when you came right out and _asked _for it!" Donald shook his head. "Seriously, who _does _that?!"

"Hey, _hey_!" Demyx snapped, frustrated as the trio continued laughing. By now, even Carl and Russell had joined in, only serving to embarrass the melodious nocturne even more. "You all better stop laughing at me, or I'll-ugh, you know what? _Forget it_." He groaned, thoroughly exasperated. "I've already put in _way _too much work into this stupid mission as it is. And for what? A whole lotta _nothing_! Tch, how many times can I say it? This was, and always will be the Worst. Mission. EVER!" Without another word, the melodious nocturne let out another long, irritated groan, his shoulders sagging as he returned through the dark corridor from whence he came.

"Ha! Good riddance, ya beatnik!" Carl called after him as the trio exchanged a triumphant round of high fives.

"Don't come back until you learn to be nicer!" Russell added just as vigorously.

In wake of both Muntz and Demyx's respective defeats, the entire group was riding high on uproarious levity. That is, until Carl just so happened to catch sight of his house. The building had already sank quite a bit away from the dirigible, and was steadily continuing do to so with barely any balloons keeping it up anymore. He watched it quietly, almost solemnly as it silently drifted away, the place he'd spent so many happy years with Ellie, where so many of their most precious memories had lived, until it finally disappeared into the clouds. Gone forever, but never forgotten.

"S-sorry about your house, Mr. Fredrickson," Russell spoke up, the others joining on his earnesty as they looked to Carl sympathetically.

And yet, the elderly man simply smiled, turning away from his former home and towards his friends instead. "You know," he began, throwing an arm around the boy beside him before grinning up to the trio warmly, deciding to let go of the past. After all, there was still so much adventure to be had in the future, just like his wife's final message to him proudly encouraged. And as far as he was concerned, that was an adventure he wasn't about to miss out on. "It's just a house."

* * *

With Muntz gone, his dogs were surprisingly eager to herald Carl as their new master, as well as Dug as their new alpha, a surprising, but welcome shift to say the least. It took a little doing to figure out how the Spirit of Adventure piloted, but Carl worked it out enough to get the group back over to the stony labyrinth that Kevin called home. And with nothing threatening her or her family any longer, the bird was more than happy to call her babies out of that labyrinth to properly meet her saviors.

"Aw, look at you!" Russell grinned, holding one of the petite birds as another one playfully pecked at Carl's head. "You're so soft!"

"Oh man, Kairi will go _nuts _when I show her a picture of you guys!" Sora grinned excitedly, pulling out the Gummiphone to take a photo. Of course, right before he could, Kevin once again plucked the device out of his hands, holding it high above his head just as she did before. "Aw, c'mon, Kevin! I only have one of those, you know." While the bird was more than prepared to take the phone back with her, she did hesitate, seeming to consider his plea for a moment before ultimately spitting it back at him one last time, once again hitting him hard against the head in the process. "Gee… thanks…" the Keybearer deadpanned, ignoring Donald and Goofy's heavy laughter behind him.

Despite the fun that everyone was having, it all too soon came to an end as Kevin called to her babies from the labrynith's entrance, much to the shared disappointment of all the others. "Aw, I wish I could keep one!" Russell sighed wistfully.

"Wait a minute," Carl paused, noticing that something was missing. "Where's my cane? I just had it…"

Suddenly, Kevin began aggressively hacking, up until she inevitably ended up coughing up Carl's lost cane in its entirety, spitting on the ground in front of him as he babies did the same with its tennis balls they had swallowed. "Eh, you know what?" the elderly man winced before smirking back over at the family of birds. "You can keep 'em. A little gift from me to you."

With these new "gifts", Kevin and her babies took off, eager to finally get back home to be safely together again. The others all saw them off with fond waves and words of farewell, watching them disappear into the mist until three of them realized it was finally time for them to part ways as well.

"Well, we got the Key," Sora concluded, satisfied as he summoned said Key once more.

"Which means it's time for us to go," Donald added knowingly.

"What?" Russell frowned, alarmed upon hearing this. "You guys are leaving too? B-but… but why?"

"Let's just say," Sora began, kneeling down to the boy's level. "We have some really important things we need to do."

"W-well then we can go with you!" Russell offered, nodding to himself, Carl, and Dug. "We can all go in our new blimp! It'll be an adventure!"

"Uh, w-well…" Sora frowned, unsure of what to say to explain.

"Russell," Carl interjected just in time, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder. "I… think you and I have had enough adventure for one lifetime. Besides, if we go with them, how will you ever get your, uh… what was it again? Assisting the Elderly bade?"

"Oh yeah!" Russell instantly perked up at this, pointing at his decorated sash. "It's the only one I'm missing! And now that I've assisted you, Mr. Frederickson, I can finally become a _senior _Wilderness Explorer!"

"Well, you definitely don't wanna miss out on that," Sora remarked, offering the boy a proud smirk.

"Now, you boys be careful out there," Carl encouraged as they began to head their separate ways. "No more falling off blimps, you hear? I'm talking to you, Sora!"

"Heh, no promises, but… I'll try," the Keybearer grinned, eliciting a pair of laughs from his companions. With a few more final words of farewell exchanged between both groups (as well as several copious friendly licks from Dug), both groups finally parted, with Carl, Russell, and Dug heading back to the Spirit of Adventure, ready to return to civilization once more.

At the same time, Sora, Donald, and Goofy set off back through the jungle to return to the Gummi Ship, ready to leave this world with their latest prize in hand. "Well, that's two Keys down-" Goofy began.

"And still a _bunch _left to go…" Donald sighed, exasperated.

"Ah, we'll get 'em," Sora assured confidently. "We've already got a head start. Heck, I'd even say we're on a roll when it comes to finding these things!"

"But aren't you afraid of the Organization finding the others?" Goofy asked, a bit perplexed.

"Hm… maybe I was before," Sora admitted, knowing that admitting such fears in the first place had been what had landed him with this most recent Key in the first place. "But not anymore. We've got this. And as long as the three of us are on the case, then the Organization doesn't stand a chance!"

"Yeah!" Donald and Goofy both heartily agreed, all three of them confident in their mission as they set off to wherever it might take them next.

However, what none of them saw as they headed off into the forest was the pair watching them go from atop a distant outcropping of rock, one of them awash in ill-intent all her own. "Oh, Sora, how predictably, innocently _foolish _can you be?" Maleficent thumbed the claw and teeth marks the Keybearer had left in her staff earlier with a smug, almost triumphant grin. "For all too soon, you'll see that pathetic Organization _aren't _the ones you should be fearing…"

"But, uh… I thought your plan with them vine thingies didn't work," Pete noted, remembering what the dark fairy had recounted to him just awhile ago.

"It didn't need to," Maleficent remarked haughtily. "That was merely a test, one that mostly achieved its purpose. It would have worked even _better _however if not for the king's fools stepping in at the exact wrong moment."

"So… what's the plan now?" Pete asked curiously. "We gonna thwump ol' Dunder-Duck and Goof For Brains into next week or somethin'?"

"I have neither the time nor patience for either of them," the dark fairy sneered. "It's the boy I'm after. And all of the rich, hidden, untapped darkness that heart of his contains." A cold, malicious grin spread across Maleficent's face as she continued to watch Sora and his companions from a distance, all of them blissfully unaware of all that she had in store for him. "And… I believe I know the _perfect _way to finally make that darkness my own…"

* * *

**Ohohoh foreshadowing? What's our gal Maleficent up to? Guess you'll just have to wait and seeeeeee. Anyway I really did have a TON of fun working on this chapter, even if it did take my quite a while. All the same, I really hope ya liked it and everything I sprinkled into it. And thus ends the Up saga, and I gotta say I had a really great time with these characters and this world. Has me super excited for all of the other original worlds in this story! Though next time, I think we'll be taking a brief break to check in on Kairi and Lea and see how training's going! Until then, PLEASE don't forget to let me know what you thought in the REVIEWS! Until next time :) **


	17. Chapter 16: Unspoken, Unheard

_Ok so here's a chapter that was pretty fun to write (though it did take me longer than I'd hoped it would...) Its a bit of a breather chapter, more laid back than usual though with good reason. Now, before we get into it, I should say that not every section of this chapter is in chronological order. Kinda decided to make the timeline of this chapter vague as its meant to take place over several weeks, and some of these happen out of order as a result, but I decided to organize them based on emotional potency instead of when they actually happen. Still, I hope it all makes sense all the same. Enjoy! (also quick note, this website is the WORST so anything that's underlined in here is actually MEANT to be crossed out (like with a strikethrough). Hopefully that doesn't ruin the effect! Sorry!) _

* * *

_Chapter 16: Unspoken, Unheard_

_Oh, let me face, let me face, let me face my fears_

_Has it really only been a few weeks since the last time we saw each other? It feels like it's been so much longer than that… _

_But in those weeks, I have been training, just like I told you I would. That's right; no more waiting for you to come back from your adventures. I want to get out there and do my part to help. And with everything I've been learning lately, I feel like it won't be very long until I can do just that. _

_Merlin has used his magic to bring us to a place where time doesn't matter, a huge, beautiful forest with plenty of room for us to hone our skills. We can take as long as we need to complete our training, which is something I can't thank Merlin enough for. He really is an amazing wizard, and a fair and wise teacher at that. Even if it his patience is sometimes does run a _little _short with Lea… _

_Speaking of Lea, it really is funny how things are turning out between the two of us. You know how I wasn't the most… enthusiastic about training with him at first? Well, even though it took awhile for me to come around to working with him at first, I think it's safe to say that I mostly have by now (even if a part of me _does _secretly wish I had taken you up on your offer to train with you, Donald, and Goofy; I can only imagine how… interesting that might have been!)_

_Still, despite my doubts about Lea, he really is sorry for all the trouble he caused before. I told him it's fine, but he won't stop apologizing. I'll admit, I was a little scared, and even more than that, angry about what he did to me, what he _tried _to do to you through it. But since then, I've gotten to know him better. All he ever wanted to do was help his friend; and honestly, because of that, it's hard _not _to like him. _

_Every now and then I catch him staring at me. When I ask him what's wrong, he says "I'm not sure. I think I'm forgetting something. Don't know what." I know this might sound a bit strange, but Sora, I think it may have something to do with you. Your journey is all about helping people; some that you've never met before, and some like Lea that you have. They're all counting on you._

_But I know you can do it; if there's anyone that can help all those lost hearts find their way home, its you. And I should know; after all, you did the very same for me before. _

Kairi couldn't help but smile softly as she wrote this heartfelt message out, capping off the first of what she knew would be quite a few entries. Blanketed by the crisp, quiet, warm glow of the sun setting across the seemingly endless valley before her as she was, she felt a deep sense of contentment and peace. Feelings that were quite a welcome change after the hectic, often daunting pace of yet another day packed to the brim with rigorous training.

Her ongoing writing was, however, interrupted by the sound of footsteps approaching from the forest behind her. "Hey."

"Hi," Kairi smiled, turning to Lea as he came to stand in the space beside her. That smile soon fell, however, as she noticed the deeply contemplative, uncharacteristically serious stare he was sending her way. A stare that she had gotten all too used to over the past several weeks alone. "What's wrong?"

The former assassin quickly turned his focused gaze away from her at this, shaking his head as if to clear it. "Nothin'. Sorry."

"Lea…" Kairi groaned with a small, plaintiff pout.

"What? I am," he shrugged, walking over to take a seat on the rock across from the one Kairi was currently sitting on. A bout of easy silence passed between the pair, until he happened to notice his training partner was still rather preoccupied by her writing as she was before. "Whatcha working on? A letter?"

"Yep," Kairi nodded, glancing up from her notebook.

"...To Sora?" Lea asked after a moment of thought.

"Wha-how'd you know?" Kairi asked, taken aback.

"Heh, it's not like it was very hard to guess," the former assassin chuckled wryly.

Kairi returned his smirk just as playfully, insincerely pulling her notepad up a bit to keep her letter out of his view. "Well, you're technically right. But I won't send it. It's more for me."

"What, you don't want Sora to read your _love letters_?" Lea teased, laughing even more as Kairi's face flushed bright red at the very thought.

"L-love letters?! I-I don't-I have no idea what you're talking about!"

"_Suuuure _you don't," the former assassin deadpanned. "Still, if you ever _do _wanna get that letter to him, you could always ask Merlin to deliver it for you. It'd get him out of our hair for a few hours at least."

"More like out of _your _hair," Kairi shot back, knowing just how humorously uproarious the dynamic between her teacher and her fellow pupil often was. "But no, its ok. I just like talking to Sora, even if its only on paper." Her smile turned sincere as she hugged her notebook close to her chest, part of her wishing that she had a more _direct _way to talk to him. Though for now, she supposed, her letters would do just fine.

"Well, ok then, whatever suits you," Lea nodded, understanding. "Oh! But speaking of deliveries…" The former assassin grinned as he pulled a pair of ice cream bars, sea salt to be exact, out of his cloak. "Here."

"Ice cream? Really?" Kairi asked, pleasantly surprised.

"Yeah, I went back into town earlier to pick these up. Ya know, since Merlin won't quit harping on about how we're both getting the hang of 'the basics'. Not quite sure what that's supposed to mean, but all the same, we oughta celebrate"

Kairi chuckled warmly at this, graciously accepting the frozen treat Lea was offering her. "You're sweet, Lea."

"Pfft, naw…" Now it was the former assassin's turn to be embarrassed as flippantly brushed the compliment off.

However, even as Kairi began to enjoy her ice cream, Lea strangely didn't do the same. In fact, as she looked up to him again, she found that he was absently staring directly at her once again. The first few times she'd caught him doing this, Kairi had been admittedly uncomfortable, and every now and again she still was. But at the moment, as she sat under his scrutinizing, piercing stare now, the most she could really be was curious as to where that stare was coming from in the first place.

"What?" she finally asked, all the while knowing she wasn't bound to get much of an answer.

"N-nothing," Lea forced himself to look away from her once more. "It's just…"

"You're… trying to remember what you forgot?" Kairi filled in, knowing his usual explanation all too well by now.

"Well, I, uh… y-yeah…" he sighed, looking out towards the sunset wistfully, sadly. "Yeah…"

Kairi frowned at this, wishing there was something she could do to help the former assassin claim that mysterious, missing memory. But considering the fact that he didn't have the faintest idea as to what it could be himself, she knew she'd certainly be hard pressed to uncover much of anything about it either. Which was why she decided to do the next best thing in the hopes of easing his obvious melancholy back into their usual casual rapport. "S-so… tomorrow," she began, making sure her tone remained upbeat. "You and me in the ring. You ready?"

"'Course," Lea nodded, though it was clear he was still distracted as he watched the sun start to sink behind the distant hills.

Kairi let out a small huff at this, but even so, she kept trying. "Don't hold back, Lea. Promise?"

He finally turned to her at this, the glow of the falling sun catching his attention almost as much as her challenging words did. And in that rich, radiant light… sat someone else altogether. A girl who was so very different from Kairi, yet so very similar all the same. A girl he recognized, a girl he _knew_. A girl who was all but gone from his memories entirely, with nothing but a distant shadow, a vague silhouette remaining. Along with the echo she had left ringing in his heart, tight and sorrowful and _pleading_, even as she smiled at him, just like she always used to do.

_"Please… don't hold back, Axel. Promise…"_

His ice cream slipped out his hand entirely, a sharp, shuddering gasp escaping him as his heart pounded with the untold grief that unknown memory brought him. For a briefest, faintest of moments, he could almost, _almost _see her clearly. And as he caught that glimpse, so strange, yet so undeniably, undoubtedly _familiar, _he was powerless to fight back the tears that all too quickly slipped down his cheeks before he could even try to stop them. Tears prompted by pain that felt so real, but had been long since forgotten.

"Huh?" Kairi looked up from her ice cream, only to receive quite a surprise. The former assassin sitting before her was _crying _of all things, completely shaken and rife with despair thanks to _something_, though she had absolutely no idea as to what. "Lea! Are you okay!?"

"Y-yeah," Lea choked, quickly wiping away his tears, especially as Kairi got up to hurry over to him. "Sorry…"

"You're crying…" Kairi noted, quite concerned. "What's wrong?"

"J-just… just something in my eye," Lea lied, purposefully averting her worried gaze until she tried diverting it once again.

"Lea…"

"I'm… gonna go," the former assassin shook his head as he rose to stand. "Sorry."

Kairi frowned, far from satisfied, especially after what she'd just seen. But given how aloof and (ironically) coolheaded Lea often tried to be, she suspected he wouldn't really want to linger on the matter. Nor would he likely accept any sort of help with it, even if she did know how to provide it. Which of course, she admittedly didn't.

"'Kay…" she nodded before ultimately throwing on a small, gentle smile. "But no more apologizing. I get it. You're sorry; and I know you mean it. So… apology accepted."

"Heh, _finally_," Lea finally grinned at this. "I thought I'd _never _hear you say that. So fine; I'll stop apologizing. On one condition."

"Oh, come on!" Kairi sighed, exasperated. "What?"

The former assassin's smile widened a bit, any signs of his former grief gone by now as he laid out his very simple terms. "Call me Axel from now on. Got it memorized?"

Kairi couldn't help but be quite confused by this request, unsure of why the former assassin would even want to go back to using the name he carried when he was a Nobody. A part of her thought to ask, but she quickly decided against it. At least for now. "Yeah… ok. Axel."

"You got it," Lea-or rather, Axel-nodded, content as he turned to take his leave. "Catch you back at Merlin's place?"

"Yeah, see you there," Kairi agreed, lingering behind to watch him leave. Her smile ultimately faded as he disappeared back into the secret forest, especially as she looked down to the ice cream bar he had dropped, resting and slowly melting into the clover-covered ground at her feet. She knew it was likely starting to get late back in Radiant Garden, but she couldn't help herself. She had to express all of her countless, pressing myriad of thoughts _somehow_ and who better to express them to then Sora, even if he wasn't around to hear them for himself?

_Lea asked me to call him Axel again… Isn't that strange? And the strangest part of all is that I have no idea why. My first thought is that maybe it has something to do with Roxas? Though maybe that's something you would know better than I would, Sora. _

_Still… I'm not sure I'll ever be able to forget just how _sad _Lea __Axel looked… I'd like to be able to help him somehow, but… I'm just not sure what to do. Maybe I would if I had more experience when it comes to helping people like you do. You've always made it look so _easy_. Remind me to pick up a few lessons from you once all this is over, ok? _

_Once all this is over… It sounds like something that'll never happen. After all, we've all been at this for so long now-you, me, and Riku. But I know in my heart that the three of us will be together again soon. _

_And once we are I, for one, can't wait to pick up exactly where we left off…_

* * *

_I know you said that neither you or Riku ever got any 'proper' Keyblade training, but if you had, then I'm sure you'd both agree with me about there being a LOT to learn! Fighting is just one small part of it all; there's defense, magic, agility, and don't even get me _started _on stamina. It's… quite a lot to take in, though I've been doing my best to take plenty of notes along the way. Still, if there's one thing Merlin is always sure to remind us of, its that-_

"Practice makes perfect!" the wizard proclaimed his usual mantra. It wasn't often that Merlin joined his pupils in the secret forest he'd created for them, often opting to observe and educate them from the comfort of his home. But today's lesson was, in his own words, a bit more 'hands on' than usual, hence his presence as he paced before his pair of attentive students.

Well, his _mostly _attentive students.

"The path to becoming a true Keyblade wielder requires dedication, fortitude, perseverance, and most of all…" Merlin glowered as he stopped directly in front of Axel, who had nodded off quite some time ago and was currently lightly snoozing. "It requires staying awake during important lessons and lectures!" With a swift wave of his wand, the wizard conjured up a bucket of water right above the sleeping former assassin's head, one that quickly tipped over and all but soaked him completely.

"Wha-_hey_!" Axel quickly snapped awake, disgruntled as he realized he was dripping wet. "What's the big idea here, gramps?! You trying to drown me or something?!"

"Not at all, my boy," Merlin clarified. "I simply prefer to have an observant audience. Also, a word of advice, Lea? Perhaps if you didn't stay up so late, then you wouldn't be so tired during these morning sessions."

"Correction," Axel countered as he rung the water out of his cloak. "I wouldn't be so tired if these morning sessions weren't so ridiculously _early_."

"It's not _that _early," Kairi pointed out with a small, amused chuckle.

"Says you," the former assassin scoffed. "Personally, I'd rather stay in bed until noon _at least._"

"That's a habit you'd best break yourself out of if you hope to properly learn how to use that Keyblade of yours," Merlin mused. "Especially considering the importance of today's lesson in particular."

"Oh?" Kairi asked, intrigued. "And what is today's lesson about, Merlin?"

"Don't tell me you're gonna toss us into the ring against even _more _Heartless," Axel groaned. "Even you gotta admit, old man, that's starting to get pretty old."

"Need I repeat myself when I say practice makes perfect?" the wizard remarked pointedly. "But no, rather, I'm sure you both will be pleasantly surprised to hear that today's exercise does _not _involve any of your usual combat training. Instead, we're going to dive deep into another aspect that's arguably even _more _important than that; today, we're going to the very heart of it all, what _defines _each of you as a Keyblade wielder."

Kairi and Axel couldn't help but exchange a mutually confused glance upon hearing this, though ultimately the former decided to speak up to it first before the latter could make any further sarcastic remarks. "What… exactly does that mean?" Kairi asked with a frown.

"As always, my dear, you've posed an excellent question," Merlin grinned knowingly. "You see, each and every Keyblade wielder ever known has always possessed one quality, one area of strength that rises above all others they may possess. For instance, say a Keyblade wielder has a mastery of magic but prefers to fight with just their physical attributes and their weapon alone. Then that wielder's defining trait would be their reliance on their strength. And while such reliance is by no means a bad thing, it does help if one is more… well-rounded than that. Which is exactly why I'd like to hone in on what method of attack each of you favors most, so that we can properly learn how to build all of your other skills up around that. Understand?"

"Err… not really…" Axel scratched his head, still confused.

"Actually, I think I get it," Kairi countered thoughtfully. "You want us to discover what our strengths are so we can become… stronger? Right?"

"A rather simplified explanation, but yes, that's roughly accurate," Merlin nodded. "So Lea, since you're so _eager _to get some rest, why don't we start with you first? What would you say your greatest asset on the battlefield would be?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Axel grinned, simply snapping his fingers to erupt a sudden, sizable flaming barrier just behind him. "Wherever I go, I _always _make sure to bring the heat."

"So you do…" Merlin noted. "Though you might want to douse those flames of yours for now. I'd hate to have to create _another _enchanted forest in the event that this one is burnt to a crisp by a rather reckless use of fire."

"Hmph, you're no fun, old man," the former assassin scowled, dissipating his fire with a mere passive wave of his hand.

"All the same," the wizard largely ignored him. "Fire magic is an easy enough skill to work with, and one that I've heard you have ample experience with. Building everything else up around it should be rudimentary enough moving forward."

"Great, so now can I head back and finally take a nap?" Axel asked, hopeful.

"Absolutely not," Merlin said succinctly, much to the former assassin's noisy disappointment. "Now, Kairi, let's move on to you. What do you believe your greatest strength to be?"

"Um… well…" Kairi paused, taking a moment to think it over. Admittedly, she had no real idea what to say or what range of strengths Keyblade wielders could even possess in the first place. Which was why her knee-jerk reaction was to think about Sora and Riku and what she'd observed from each of them in the past as a frame of reference. By all accounts, Sora seemed to be quite well-rounded in a fight, though if she had to pin his most outstanding attribute down, it would no doubt be his resourcefulness, his ability to adapt to situations as they came and work around them to find a winning solution. Riku, on the other hand, had always been a bit more reliant on his physical strength, though his hard-earned grip over what had once been his greatest weakness, namely his own inner darkness seemed to stand out more than anything else. But when Kairi reflected on her own abilities, or rather, the glaring lack thereof, she found that she couldn't really name any that particularly rose above the rest. A fact that she all-too hesitantly decided to honestly admit. "I-I'm sorry, but… I'm not sure if I really even… _have _any strengths at all…"

Much to her surprise, Merlin offered her a kind, understanding smile instead of calling her out for her relative lack of an answer. "My dear, you'll find that every single soul scattered far and wide across the worlds has a unique and special strength all their own, including you. All you need to do is figure out exactly what that your strength is. Your Keyblade will show you the way."

"My Keyblade…?" Kairi repeated, raising her hand to summon said weapon. Destiny's Embrace flashed into her grip, though for a moment, nothing else happened, even as she held onto it with both hands. Both Merlin and Axel watched her expectantly, but all the while, Kairi kept her eyes on her Keyblade, searching, hoping to feel _some _sort of reaction from it, even if she wasn't exactly sure what. Ultimately though, as if guided by instinct alone, she closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, blocking out everything else other than the Keyblade in her hands. Until two other thoughts, different yet quite similar, happened to ring out in her mind, bringing a pair of welcome memories with them;

"_And don't worry; you'll be just fine, Kairi. Knowing you, you'll be giving me and Sora a run for our munny in no time."_

"_Wish me luck?"_

"_You don't need it. I have a feeling you'll do a great job all on your own."_

_Riku… Sora… They believe in me… _The thought sparked a burst of warmth within her, small at first, though it steadily grew until she could contain it no longer. The two people she was absolutely certain she cared about the most _believed _she could do this. Which meant that maybe it was time for _her _to start believing that herself.

"Stars alive…"

"Whoa… Kairi…"

"Hm?" Kairi finally opened her eyes upon hearing Merlin and Axel's awed whispers, and it didn't take her very long to figure out where that awe was coming from. Her Keyblade was bathed in a rich, radiant light, light that had come to gently envelop the rest of her body as well. "W-what… what is this…?" she wondered softly, amazed by just how natural this glow both felt and looked on her.

"My dear, I believe you just found your strength…" Merlin noted with a proud, growing smile. "Its baffling that I didn't consider it before, but in hindsight, this makes perfect sense. You are a Princess of Heart, are you not?"

"W-well… yes," Kairi nodded, not sure of what that really had to do with anything.

"Well, as a Princess of Heart, your own heart is completely devoid of darkness," Merlin explained. "It is, to put it simply, pure light. So, it would only make sense that your own natural power reflects that light, don't you agree?"

"Light…" Kairi mused softly, holding her Keyblade slightly aloft and watching it pulsate with that purified power. Power that came from _her_, that was _hers_. A unique and special strength all her own, just as Merlin had said. And as she embraced that power and exactly what it meant, even as that light slowly began to dim, she couldn't help but smile.

"So we got light and fire on our hands, huh?" Axel spoke up, offering Kairi a congratulatory nod over her discovery. "Where do we go from here, gramps?"

Merlin shot the former assassin an unsavory look over this constant nickname, though even so he addressed his question all the same. "Now is an opportune time to sharpen those strengths, learn to utilize them in conjunction with your Keyblades and put them into practice in the battlefield. And with those strengths identified, I see no reason why we can't get started doing exactly that right here and now!"

"Augh, seriously?" Axel groaned, exasperated. "Are you _ever _gonna let us have a day off, old man?"

"Perhaps I might…" Merlin began leadingly, discreetly conjuring up another bucket of water to put his rebellious pupil in his place. "When you _finally _stop calling me old man!"

Kairi was helpless to hold back a heavy bout of laughter as the wizard unleashed his watery revenge. At the same time, she noticed her former golden glow was mostly gone, even her Keyblade taking on its usual pallor once more. Even so, she hardly minded; after all, even if she wasn't entirely sure how these new powers worked yet, she had taken the first, most important step in learning more about them all the same.

_For so long, I thought there was nothing really special about me, especially compared to you and Riku… I had been told before that my heart was filled with light, but I never understood exactly what that meant… Until now. Merlin told me that the power of light itself is a very special gift. And even if I don't quite know how to use it yet, I'm determined to figure it out. To use it to fight by your side. _

_To be your light in the darkness, no matter how deep._

* * *

_Merlin is a pretty stern teacher, so it's honestly pretty rare that he actually pulls us away from our training in the secret forest. But today he did, announcing that some "very special guests" were stopping by for a visit and that he wanted us to meet them. Of course, neither me or Axel had a single clue as to who, until those guests showed up in a sudden burst of bright magic: the three good fairies, Flora, Fauna, and Merrywether. _

"Merlin, dear, it's been _far _too long!" Flora greeted brightly, flying forward to meet the wizard in a cordial handshake.

"We're so delighted you invited us to come by to see you!" Fauna added just as cheerily.

"We have a lot of catching up to do!" Merrywether finished a bit more sternly than the others, though her tidings were still just as bright.

"Greetings, ladies!" Merlin chuckled as he received his guests. "You're absolutely right, Merrywhether, we certainly _do _have much to catch up on. Starting with my my two new young pupils here! Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather, I'd like you to meet Lea and Kairi." The wizard smiled as he motioned toward the pair standing alongside him curiously.

The fairies were practically abuzz with excitement as they all flittered over to the two, eager to meet them. "Ah, so _you're _Merlin's new students we've heard so much about!" Merryweather exclaimed, catching Axel off guard as she shook his hand enthusiastically.

"All good things, of course," Fauna added, offering Kairi a kindly smile. "We hear you two are progressing wonderfully when it comes to your training!"

"Wonderfully, huh? So you _do _brag on us after all, don't ya, gramps?" Axel asked Merlin with a knowing smirk.

"Come now, my boy, I would hardly call it bragging," Merlin huffed with a dismissive wave of his hand. "I simply like giving credit where credit is due."

"Oh, but Merlin, dear, in your latest letter, you said you very proud of both of them," Flora pointed out.

"Oh, Merlin!" Kairi grinned. "That's very sweet of you!"

"N-now, now! I… w-well, you see, I-" Merlin ultimately let out a defeated huff, one that elicited a shared laugh from his pair of students and his trio of guests alike. "W-why don't I just go prepare us all some tea then…?"

At this, the wizard quickly made his flustered retreat, leaving the fairies behind to continue their meeting with Kairi and Axel. "So, Master Yen Sid tells us you two are training to fight alongside the guardians of light," Flora began inquisitively.

"Yes, that's right," Kairi nodded.

"What a noble cause to be fighting for," Fauna said earnestly. "You both are very brave."

"Well, brave or stupid, the jury's still out as to which," Axel joked wryly.

"Hm…" Merryweather mused, looking over the pair thoughtfully. "You know, if you plan on going into a fight like that, then you'll both need better protection against the darkness…"

"Oh, dears!" Flora clasped her hands together in delight. "I think we have our next protect on our hands!"

"Project?" Kairi asked, curious.

"Ah, it's a secret," Fauna winked, already on board with Flora's train of thought. "But you'll get to see it soon enough."

Kairi and Axel exchanged a confused glance at this, both of them absolutely out of whatever loop the fairies had created as they crowded together to whisper and plot amongst themselves. Soon enough, however, Merlin soon returned with a tea tray in hand.

"Now, if there is one thing I _am _proud of, it's this tea," Merlin proclaimed pointedly, setting it down on the table. "Freshly brewed and piping hot."

"And lemme guess, made with magic?" Axel asked with a clever smirk. "Just like everything else in here?"

"Oh, good eye, dear!" Flora exclaimed before Merlin could even get a word in edgewise.

"You always were one to favor a home filled with magic, Merlin," Merryweather chuckled teasingly. "Though perhaps a bit _too _much if you ask me…"

"Well, not everyone can go 16 years living out in the middle of the forest without using _any _magic to speak of…" Merlin grumbled. "Now, are we going to let this delicious tea go to waste or what?"

No one argued with the wizard on this, with everyone instead eagerly helping themselves in order to enjoy a very welcome tea time. Merlin was clearly glad to be in the company of his old friends and likewise, Kairi and Axel also enjoyed both a break from their training as well as conversing with the trio of fairies. All three of whom seemed quite invested to hear more about the pair's progress, for some unknown reason.

_Of course, Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather also spoke very highly of you, Sora. They even said they made magical clothing for you, Riku, and the king! What a great honor. I wonder if Axel and I could ever work our way up to receiving such a special gift someday… _

_Oh, speaking of special, there was one thing the fairies said to me just as they were leaving that's stuck with me ever since. It made me think of what happened during training the other day, when I discovered my power of light. It started when Fauna pulled me aside, taking my hands as she gave me a warm, confident smile. "Your heart is filled with light, dear," she said. "I can sense it, pure and strong."_

"_Just like our Aurora!" Merrywether chimed in fondly. _

"_I'm sure you'll use that light to do great things," Flora assured. "Just believe in that light and in yourself and the darkness will never be able to defeat you."_

"_My heart will shine with its power and push the darkness away…" I finished, the words coming out without me even thinking about them. The fairies seemed to share my confusion as they looked to each other, but I could still feel it. Those words, that promise… they were so, _so _familiar. Like something someone once said to me in a dream… A story I'd heard many times before. _

_Anyway, I thanked the fairies as they left, but even now I can't stop thinking about that story… I don't know who told it to me or when, but I can feel its weight. Sense its importance. "But the true light sleeps, deep within the darkness…." she'd said, I remember, I _know_. "Someday, a door to the innermost darkness will open, and the true light will return. So listen, child… Even in the deepest darkness, there will always be a light to guide you…"_

_What is that light? Is it _my _light, or someone else's light entirely?_

_I don't know. But I want to know. Everyone keeps talking about the light in my heart, but I still hardly even know what that light even _is_. It's frustrating… but exciting. Like a secret just waiting to be uncovered. And Sora, I can't _wait _to tell you that secret first the moment I discover exactly what it is._

* * *

_I'm happy to say that Keyblade training isn't all Heartless brawls and lengthy lectures. More often than not, Merlin's been letting us learn "outside of the classroom" and back in Radiant Garden. And that isn't all. He's also been letting us pick up a few lessons from a few different teachers as well, some of whom I'd bet you're familiar with, Sora. _

_Let's start with Aerith. I'm sure you know this, but she's a talented healer. Not only that, but she's very kind and a _very _good listener. Which is why I try to sit in with her at least once a week to learn all I can when it comes to healing. Something that I think will come in handy considering just how… reckless you tend to be (no offense!). _

"Of course a hi-potion heals faster and better than a regular potion," Aerith explained, pointing out said potion amidst the collection she had gathered for the sake of this demonstration. "But a mega potion outdoes them both. It heals to a lesser extent, but it can be used several times over, which makes its it great for any team or group to have one on hand."

"Makes sense…" Kairi nodded, adding onto her copious, careful notes. "What's that one?"

"That's an elixir," Aerith said, nodding to the item Kairi had pointed out among the others. "It replenishes both health and magic, and it's _very _potent. But the ingredients needed to make it are… somewhat hard to come by. Which is why it's the only one I have. I'm saving it for… someone, just in case they might need it."

Kairi raised an eyebrow at this, partially wanted to ask who that someone was, though she decided against it upon noticing the rather wistful, almost sad look on Aerith's face. "So… what about healing magic?" she asked instead, getting the lesson back on track. "How does that work?"

"Well… healing magic can be… a little tricky," Aerith said with a small smile. "Are you sure you're up for it?"

Kairi laughed at this, confident. "Well, if I can handle the Heartless hordes Merlin makes me and Axel take on every other day, I think I can handle a little healing magic too, don't you think?"

Aerith couldn't help but let out a small chuckle at this herself. "Well in that case, let's give it a try. We'll practice on this plant for now." She pulled over a small, potted flower onto the table they were working at, a plant that Merlin had clearly neglected to put in a place where it would have gotten the proper sunlight it needed based on how dropping and brittle it was. "So there's three basic types of healing spells: cure, cura, and curaga. Since cure is the easiest, we'll start with that."

"Right," Kairi nodded, dutifully summoning Destiny's Embrace. However, instead of giving any further instructions, Aerith simply shook her head.

"Actually, I'd like you to try it without your Keyblade," she said. "This kind of magic works fine when its channeled through a weapon, but it works even _better _when it's straight from the source. All you need to do is connect with the energy of whatever or whoever you're trying to heal, figure out and _feel _what's wrong, and tap into your own power to fix it."

"...I hope that's actually easier than it sounds…" Kairi remarked with a fretful frown as she let her Keyblade disappear.

"Don't worry, it is," Aerith assured warmly. "Now, just… focus…"

Kairi did so, taking in a deep breath as she extended a hand out toward the plant, focusing on it and nothing else. For what seemed like ages though, she felt absolutely no feedback from the plant itself as it sat, still and withering before her. However, when she least expected it, there it was: a burst of energy, small and unfeeling and worst of all, fleeting. Fading. _Dying_.

_No, wait, _she thought urgently, desperate to reverse that dying process. _Stop, please. Let me help you… _

So, that's exactly what she did.

As if like a series of successive waves lapping onto the sand, she could feel her magic flow out of her. She could _feel _it touch the plant, feel that magic weave its way into the flowers frayed, fading energy. And slowly, she could feel her magic _fix _it, restore what had been lost, repair what had withered away. But that wasn't all. For even after she'd fixed it, her magic went beyond that. It energized it, invigorated it, expanded its life force beyond what it ever was before. And by the time she opened her eyes, she found that the plant had not only been completely healed, but it had blossomed, it had _grown_ as it now towered towards the ceiling, several brightly-colored flowers budding upon a lush, healthy vine.

"W-whoa…" Kairi gasped, awestruck as she looked to the plant. "_I _did that…?"

"I-I think you did…" Aerith mused, just as surprised. "But… how? The magic you were just using, it _wasn't _a simple cure spell."

"It… wasn't?"

"No… What you just did here, Kairi, was a _curaza _spell. The most powerful healing spell of them all!"

"W-what?!" Kairi exclaimed, aghast. "B-but that's crazy! I've never even used _any _healing magic before now! How could I have done something like… like _that?_!" She motioned back to the plant, still thriving thanks to the power she had imparted to it.

"Your guess is as good as mine," Aerith smiled incredulously. "Either way, it's something you should be proud of. It looks like you have a real knack for healing, Kairi. But keep in mind that even a spell as powerful as curaza can't heal _everything_. There are some wounds that healing magic just… _can't _fix."

"So… what do we do then?" Kairi asked, concerned.

Aerith looked away, frowning fretfully as she shook her head with unknown regret. "I hope you never have to find out…"

_I hope I don't either_… Kairi thought, apprehensive. After all, the very idea of any of her friends, of Sora or Riku in particular, being so badly hurt to the point that they were beyond any sort of healing, practically broke her heart. So instead of dwelling over such a troubling thought, she decided to be proactive against them instead. After all, even with potent healing powers on her side, she clearly still had a lot to learn. "Um… Aerith?" she began tentatively, catching the older girl's attention. "Do you think I could get a chance to practice that curaza spell again?"

"Of course," Aerith managed a smile at this. "Though… maybe you should try it out on a _different _plant. I think this one's been healed up enough."

Kairi agreed with a small, bright laugh, following after Aerith as she led the way to look for another subject to practice on. Even so, she did pause, casting another glance at her first "patient", standing tall and proud and radiating with life, life _she _had brought back to it.

_All these powers I never knew I had… Where did they come from? Merlin said I can use light because of my heart is filled with it, so maybe that's why I'm able to use such powerful healing magic too? I don't know. To be honest, it's a bit overwhelming, and trying to make sense of it all on my own practically makes my head spin! So it's a good thing I have friends like Aerith here to help me do exactly that._

* * *

_As soon as I brought up to Merlin that I want to learn how to be more agile on the battlefield, before he could get even a single word in edgewise out, Yuffie was already eagerly volunteering to help out. "Getting around a fight in a flash is my specialty!" she'd said with perky wink. It's pretty obvious that Yuffie's never really had much experience in being a teacher, but her lessons in agility do tend to be the most… interesting of the bunch…_

"Excuse me? You want me to _what_?" Kairi asked, absolutely baffled.

"Oh, ya know, just walk along this wall here," Yuffie said, pointing out the Bailey's highest wall. Said wall was quite easy to step up and get onto from one side, but on its other was a deep drop into the barren valley far below it. "Nothin' too tricky. I've done it _hundreds _of times, so you've got nothing to worry about."

"...Yuffie, I don't know about this…" Kairi frowned, peering down into the vast valley miles below.

"Hey, you wanted to learn about agility and all that stuff, right?" the ninja asked, hands on her hips. "Well, improving your balance is the best place to start. And this just so happens to be the best place in town to do just that! And remember, there's no shame in falling on your first try."

"Why do I have a feeling that if I fall on my first try, it might just end up being my _last _try?" Kairi muttered apprehensively as she began to slowly climb up onto the wall. Her legs were rather shaky as she carefully rose to stand, though as she looked down again to the deadly fall that could very well await her if she leaned too far to one side, she quickly wished she hadn't. "Y-Yuffie-"

"I know, the view is amazing, isn't it?" Yuffie asked with something of a mischievous grin. "Now, just walk to the other end of the wall and you'll be in the clear!"

Kairi took in an uneven breath but even so, she did her best to comply. She kept her arms held out wide in the hopes of stabilizing herself as she took a small, very stiff step forward. She shifted only slightly as she took another, though all the same she managed to keep her footing on the rather narrow edge she was standing on. Until…

Out of nowhere, a sudden gust of strong wind blew in from the south, not unusual for that section of Radiant Garden, though quite unfortunate for Kairi as she was caught off guard by the force of the gale. She let out a sharp gasp as it struck her mid-step, lurching her sideways unexpectedly, towards, of all things, the far side of the wall. She barely even had time to think as her foot missed the wall just by an inch, but that inch was enough to throw her off entirely. With nothing to hold onto to anchor herself, she began to fall to the side, her eyes wide with panic as she tried in vain to do _anything _she could to save herself.

Luckily though, she didn't have to.

"Whoa, there! I gotcha!" Kairi yelped in surprise once again as she was suddenly yanked hard to the other side. Ultimately, she did end up falling, though not into the valley, but rather onto the hard cobblestone ground just a few feet away. In the immediate aftermath, her adrenaline and panic were still rushing as she looked around in confusion, until a familiar hand extended out toward her to help her up. "Hm… you know, maybe the highest wall in town _wasn't _the best one to start you out on…" Yuffie noted with a frown. You ok, Kairi?"

"Um… y-yeah, I guess," Kairi nodded, accepting the ninja's help in getting up. "As fine as I can be for nearly falling to my death…"

"That's the spirit!" Yuffie grinned, giving her a light, playful punch on the arm. "Though maybe we should start you off on something a bit… safer…"

"Good idea…" Kairi sighed, finally cracking an exasperated smile.

"I know just the place," Yuffie began to take the lead to lead the way out of the Bailey towards the upper section of town. "C'mon!"

"H-hey!" Kairi exclaimed as Yuffie got a running start ahead of her. "Wait up!"

As it turned out, Yuffie didn't just have agility on her side; she had speed. By comparison, Kairi found herself quite hard pressed to follow her, much less keep up with her, as she dashed through the eastern section of town. However, as they passed through the flowery courtyard of the central square, Kairi ultimately found herself stopping short, her attention drawn elsewhere, namely towards the castle towering high above the square. Despite her weeks in Radiant Garden thus far, she had never really paid too much mind to the castle until now, and for some reason or another, her newfound curiosity began to draw her towards it. She had all but lost track of Yuffie by now anyway, so she figured allowing herself to get a bit sidetracked would really do any harm.

Yet as she scaled up the steps leading towards the castle's front entrance, she soon began to feel something stirring within her, something familiar, almost like a faded, forgotten memory. She had been here before, standing in this very place what felt like almost a lifetime ago, when she had been much younger. But she hadn't been alone there; there had been someone else, a young woman with a kindly smile and an air of true wisdom and strength about her. The woman had rescued her from… something, and she had returned the favor with the simple gift of a handful of flowers she had plucked from the nearby gardens.

"_Here!" she smiled brightly, youthfully as she presented the small bouquet. _

"_Are these for me?" the woman asked, pleasantly surprised. _

"_I picked you some flowers. Thank you for saving me!"_

"_Oh, they're lovely. You're so sweet," the woman smiled gently. _

"_My name's Kairi!" she greeted blithely. "Nice to meet you!"_

"_Nice to meet you too. I'm-"_

"Kairi!"

She gasped as she was swiftly returned to the present, her distant memory broken just before it could actually become clear. Startled, Kairi turned to see Yuffie rushing up the stairs toward her, aptly confused.

"There you are!" the ninja huffed. "You're not very good to follow the leader, are you?"

"Sorry, Yuffie," Kairi said with a sheepish smile. "I just… This place… it feels like something… _important _happened to me here long ago…"

"Oh yeah, didn't you say you were from Radiant Garden?" Yuffie asked, curious. "So… if you don't mind telling me, what exactly happened _here_?"

"I'm… not sure," Kairi frowned. "I know it had something to do with a very kind woman, but… I can't remember who she was or what she looked like. She saved me from something, a-and then… she cast a spell on me."

"Oh? What kind of spell?" Yuffie pressed, still quite intrigued.

Kairi paused, briefly skimming her necklace as she thought back to the woman's mysterious, yet hopeful words. "A spell that would lead me to someone… who would keep me safe."

"Hm," the ninja hummed with a knowing smile. "So… did it work?"

"Yeah…" Kairi nodded warmly, gently wrapping her hand around her necklace and the magic still contained within it. "It did."

_That spell… I don't know when or how, but it really _did _work. When I needed it most, that magic led me to safety. It took me from here to the Destiny Islands. And I know in my heart that it brought me to someone who would and _has _kept me safe… _

_Because, Sora, it brought me to _you.

* * *

_Compared to Aerith and Yuffie, Leon is so… serious. He's also very responsible, which makes him a natural fit to lead the restoration committee. But he _does _have something of a playful side too, which is pretty surprising. Axel and I got a taste of that side of him just as we met Tifa actually. _

_She came by Merlin's house earlier today, introducing herself to me and Axel before saying she was looking for someone. Didn't say who, though I think Leon knew who she was talking about, even if he didn't know where that someone was. Still, Tifa decided to stick around to watch Axel and Leon spar, something they challenge each other to almost every day. Boys will be boys, I suppose._

"Alright, belt-boy," Axel smirked, taking a wry dig at Leon's outfit. "Let's settle this, once and for all."

"You said that yesterday," Leon remarked, slinging his Gunblade over his shoulder. "And then after you lost to me _again_, you had to practically beg me for today's rematch. So I think it's safe to say this won't be 'once and for all'."

"Aw, c'mon…" Axel grumbled, ignoring Kairi and Tifa's shared laughter as they watched this exchange from the sidelines. "Not in front of the ladies…"

"Enough talk," Leon said, taking up a fighting stance. "You ready?"

"You bet," Axel nodded, doing the same with his Keyblade rather than his chakrams this time around. After all, what was the point in such a skirmish if not for the sake of practice?

With that, the pair launched into battle, clashing blades with firm gusto. As they leapt back from this starting blow, Kairi and Tifa both erupted into spirited cheers from the sidelines as the fast-paced brawl continued.

"Woo! Go get him, Squall!" Tifa shouted, pumping her first.

"You can do it, Axel!" Kairi called supportively.

Over and over again, Leon's Gunblade and Axel's Keyblade struck each other, neither side breaking down for the first phase of the fight. The sounds of the spar echoed through the street in front of Merlin's house, which was fortunately bare of any pedestrians, giving the pair plenty of space to duke it out. However, as these fights usually went, soon enough, Axel's endurance began to waver, his lack of experience compared to Leon apparent as he tried to take a moment to catch his breath. A moment that Leon made sure to take advantage of to secure his victory.

Axel only barely had a chance to raise his Keyblade to defend himself as Leon rushed in, swinging his Gunblade out wide and fast. The strike easily knocked the former assassin off his feet entirely, his Keyblade disappearing as he landed hard on the ground some distance away. He flinched as he found the sharp end of the Gunblade pointing directly at him, though fortunately, Leon pulled it back to offer him a helping hand instead.

"So, 'once and for all', huh?" he asked with knowing smirk.

"Ugh…" Axel groaned, rolling his eyes as he accepted the help up. "Just you wait, one of these days, your luck is gonna run out and I'm actually going to beat you for a change."

"Good luck with that," Tifa remarked as she headed over to the pair. "No offense, Lea, but you seem a bit… out of your element when it comes to that Keyblade of yours."

"Uh, that's 'cause I _am_," Axel said pointedly. "Cut me some slack, at least _starting _to get better, right?"

Leon and Tifa exchanged an uncertain glance at this, though fortunately for the former assassin's already frayed pride, Kairi was quick to step in. "Don't worry, Axel," she chuckled warmly. "I think you're improving."

"Gee, thanks," Axel deadpanned, hardly allayed. "Say, speaking of improving, why don't _you _try a round in the ring with ol' Leon here?"

"W-what?" Kairi asked, caught off guard.

"Yeah! I want to see you in action too, Kairi!" Tifa exclaimed with a daring grin. "What about you, Squall?"

"I'm up to it if you are, Kairi," Leon said. "But no pressure; after all, I know you're still a beginner like Lea here. So if you want me to go easy on you, I-"

"N-no," Kairi protested, largely without thinking. "Don't go easy on me. Xehanort and the Organization aren't going to go easy on us, so it's better that we learn how to be tough before we fight them. So we can be stronger!"

"Hm…" Leon mused over this for a moment before ultimately brandishing his Gunblade once more. "Alright. Then let's see what you've got."

Kairi nodded, taking in a deep, steadying breath as she summoned her Keyblade. Tifa and Axel stepped back to give them plenty of room to fight, and on the exact same beat, they both rushed forward to meet each other in a starting strike. Said strike was clearly won by Leon though, who managed to push Kairi back quite a bit by sheer force alone. She narrowly managed to maintain her footing as she pressed up against a nearby wall, though as she did she quickly noticed that Leon was rapidly on his way toward her once again. Since she had already internally resolved herself against using any sort of magic in this brawl, Kairi instead blocked his next swing, pushing it back with a heavy shout and a lucky parry. Leon was quite surprised by this maneuver, though he held is ground as Kairi came in for a counter attack. He defended himself well, pressing his Gunblade hard against her Keyblade. For a moment, the tension was maintained between the two weapons, but in the end, Leon's superior strength ended up overpowering Kairi's. She gasped as the tension broke and she was inevitably shoved back, her Keyblade forced out of her hand in the process, bringing this brief skirmish to it's all-too-soon ending.

Exhausted by the strain of the fight, Kairi dropped to one knee, embarrassed by her own defeat as she stopped to catch her breath. Even so, Leon offered a hand to help her up, just as he had for Axel before her. "I know you said you wanted to get stronger, Kairi," he began, his tone even and understanding as he helped her stand. "But you need to remember that there are many different kinds of strength. 'Being tough' is only the tip of the iceberg."

"That's right," Tifa nodded, emerging from the sidelines once more. "Strength of mind, strength of body, strength of heart… they're all equally important. And they all mean something different to each person. So it's up to you to figure out what each of them mean to _you_."

Kairi smiled, gladly accepting such genuine, solid advice. She had never believed physical strength to be her strong suit, and for the longest time, she had viewed that as a critical weakness against her favor when it came to her path as a Keyblade wielder. But perhaps that kind of strength _wasn't _the most important of them all. Maybe it was just as Tifa had said; strength of mind, body, and heart, all coming together to support and build off each other and fortify everything else in between.

_The truest kind of strength… I know it won't be easy, but I want to find that sort of strength within myself somehow. The same sort of strength you and Riku have, Sora. The strength to protect what matters most. _

_Sora, it's my turn to fight for you._

* * *

_Merlin made his stance on giving us 'days off' very clear right from the very start. He's not a fan of letting either of us waste any time, really, but there will be the odd occasion when Axel will manage to catch him in a good enough mood that he'll agree to it. Which is why I have him to thank for today's break. _

_I have to admit, I never really know what to do on our days off. Axel usually always uses them to catch up on his 'beauty sleep', which leaves me with few other choices on who to hang out with. Merlin often busies himself with 'lesson planning' when we're not training, which clearly preoccupies a lot his time based on how complex our lessons often are. Once I spent the day going along with Leon, Aerith, and Yuffie on their usual patrol around town, though aside from a pretty silly argument that broke out in the market, we really didn't see any action at all. And still, another day off was spent picking up a few lessons on piloting a Gummi Ship from Cid. And after those lessons, I more or less decided that flying one of those things on my own… clearly isn't something I'm cut out for. I'll leave that to you, Sora. _

_But today, I decided to go out on my own for my day off. I've been here in Radiant Garden for several weeks now, but I've hardly even had the chance to see any of it between all of our training sessions. So I went out on the town, ready to see all the sights I could. _

_And I'm very glad I did. _

To say that Radiant Garden lived up to its name was an understatement. The city was absolutely lovely, shining and strong, with its many scars from destruction past all but healed now thanks to the tireless work of the Restoration Committee. Kairi gladly took that well-built radiance in as she walked through the town's bustling market, which was alive with shoppers and merchants alike. She didn't really intend to buy anything, instead looking to get a taste of the city's culture and commerce, things that she had obviously never paid much mind to when she used to live there as a child.

It was strange though. For as she strolled through the streets and got a better look around, Kairi couldn't help but feel a certain sort of fondness for the city. A sense of nostalgia burning dim yet deep within her. It made sense; in many ways, this _was _her home, but at the same time, it really _wasn't_, at least not anymore. Because whatever memories she had tied to this place were now gone, and all of what she had now came from somewhere else: the Destiny Islands. And yet, that still didn't mean she could appreciate Radiant Garden for what it was now. In many ways, both her and her hometown had changed so much since the last time they saw each other. She could only hope that she came out of it all as bright and as vibrant as the town itself had.

It didn't take very long for Kairi to wander into a part of town she hadn't seen before. Even so, she was absolutely awestruck as she stumbled into the city's famous fountain court. According to the Restoration Committee, it had taken quite some time to bring this landmark back to its former glory, but they certainly had as the multi-tiered fountains flowed with pure, sparkling water, water that flowed rich and clean through the entire town for all its residents to use. The court was clearly a favorite attraction of the townsfolk as they trickled in and out to take a look, and though Kairi knew she still had more of the city to see, she ultimately decided to do the same.

As relaxing as the rushing fountains were, she opted to pick a spot along the stairs that led up to a higher platform, letting her legs dangle off the edge as she sat down to enjoy the view. Since she didn't really have too much else to do, it didn't take long for her to pull her notebook out of her bag and start penning her latest letter to Sora.

_Radiant Garden really is a spectacular world. I know you've been here before, but it's been awhile, hasn't it? You'd _love _how it looks now. It's a very far cry from what it looked like the last time we were here, that's for certain. _

_But I'm sure you see all sorts of beautiful places on your journey. There are so many worlds out there, and you're so lucky that you get to see so many of them. Sometimes… I wish I could go see them with you. _

Kairi glanced up from her letter briefly upon noticing a young couple enter the fountain court, their arms linked as they walked side-by-side. They smiled brightly, laughing over something she couldn't quite hear before they came to stand in front of the towering fountains together. Silence passed between the pair for what seemed like ages as they watched the calming waters flow before them. Until, slowly but surely, their gaze started to drift away from the fountains and towards each other instead.

With their arms loosely wrapped around each other, they drew in close, not hesitating whatsoever, even as their lips lightly touched. Kairi finally looked away at this, allowing the couple their privacy as she looked back to her letter once more.

_I wonder what that must be like… _

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the couple slowly part but still linger close, the warmth of their kiss still clearly brimming gentle and sweet between them.

_To be so close to someone that there's no space left between. To have my heart tied to someone else's in every way possible… _

_I've loved other people before, of course. But I'm not sure if I've ever really been _in _love. How would I know? What does it even feel like? What happens if I am? _

_How would I know if you felt the same? _

As Kairi glanced to the loving couple once again, she couldn't help but feel a strange sense of longing, foreign and new, but fascinating all the same. And as she stared down at the couple from above, she couldn't help but imagine herself standing in their place, safe and secure and happier than she had ever known before in the arms of someone else entirely. In the arms of the very person she was writing this letter to in the first place.

_Sora… I think... I love-_

Kairi caught herself with a gasp, instantly scratching out that last line several times over before she could even finish it. True, she had no plans of ever letting any other eyes see this letter, much less send it out to who it was actually intended for. But that didn't mean she was anywhere remotely near ready to admit such a thing, even if it was only to herself.

Unsure of what else to write, Kairi left the rest of this particular letter unfinished, cutting it off on a short, uncertain note as she stuffed her notebook back into her bag. She didn't even spare the young couple another glance as she hurried past them and out of the fountain court entirely. Later that evening, after she'd returned to Merlin's house for the night and thought back on her latest letter again, she did end up adding one final line onto it. One that only barely began to sum up all she was really feeling.

_The water flowing from the fountains seemed to whisper unspoken words, unspoken feelings… Maybe one day, Sora, I'll finally be brave enough to let those words and feelings be heard…_

* * *

_Did you hear? I saw Riku the other day! He came by with the king to deliver new clothes the good fairies made for Axel and I. I guess that's the 'surprise' they'd hinted at when they were here a few weeks ago, and it's a very impressive one at that. I can't speak for Axel, but I'm very pleased with my new outfit. Though after trying it on, I decided that my clothes weren't the… _only _thing I wanted to change. I'd tell you more about it, but I'd rather keep you in suspense for the next time we see each other, especially since I haven't seen _your _new outfit yet either. _

_But going back to Riku, he told me that you're doing well. He said you, Donald, and Goofy are out looking for the thirteen Keys to Kingdom Hearts. It sounds like a very important task, but if there's anyone who can find them all, then it's you, Sora. And who knows? Since training is going along so well, it won't be long before I can come along and join you in looking for the rest! _

_Just thinking about it makes me wish that could happen now. But I know we both have our own important work to do right now. There's no time for distractions, especially not when the fate of all worlds hangs in the balance. Still, just because I know we have to wait doesn't mean I don't still miss you… _

_But until I can see you again, I'll keep on training, thinking about you and wishing you the best all the while. Though I have to admit that these days, you aren't the only one I've been thinking about. There's so many people, so many lost lights we need to help. And even though one of those people is about as close to my heart as she can possibly be, it still always feels like she's so far out of reach all the same… _

Axel sat alone on the edge of the secret forest, watching the sun set over the hills just as he so often did. Just as _they _used to often do. His thoughts, along with the calm serenity of dusk were soon broken however by a cheerful greeting from behind.

"Hey, Axel!"

The former assassin turned to his pupil, only to find quite a change from how he'd seen her earlier that morning. Kairi smiled as she stepped forward, clad in her new clothes, a simple, yet durable black and pink dress with thick, sturdy boots to match. However, what caught Axel even more off guard was her hair, cut short to hang just above her shoulders, making her look almost entirely different, though hardly in a bad way.

"Hey," Axel greeted with an approving grin. "Liking the new look. Cut your hair too, I see."

"Mm-mm," Kairi nodded. "I figured it was about time for a change. So, are you gonna try yours on?"

"The new clothes?" the former assassin frowned, glancing over his usual Organization cloak. "Uh… I dunno. Maybe later."

"But you always wear the same thing," Kairi teased lightly. "Doesn't that dreary black coat ever get old?"

"Hey, if it ain't broke, don't fix it," Axel ribbed back. "This is how you pick me out of a crowd. I make myself easy to remember."

"How thoughtful," Kairi chuckled. "Though if you happen to be standing in a crowd of oh, I dunno, thirteen or so other people wearing the exact same thing, it _might _just be a bit harder for someone to spot you. And if the rest of us just so happen to be fighting those thirteen people, well, wearing that coat _might _just be a bit of a flight risk. Just a thought."

"Gee, thanks for your concern," Axel smirked, deadpan as Kairi came to take a seat next to him. "But I think I'll survive. After all, I've got a few new tricks up my sleeve since I've seen my old 'pals' in the Organization. They won't know what hit 'em next time they cross paths with me."

"I'm sure they won't," Kairi grinned, though she paused for a moment upon catching sight of the splendor of the setting sun before them. "Wow… what a beautiful sunset! Then again, they're always beautiful here, aren't they?"

"...Eh, I've seen better," Axel remarked, looking away from the sunset.

"Oh really?" Kairi raised an eyebrow at this. "Where?"

The former assassin's smile finally fell at this as he glanced down, seemingly lost in thought. Or regret. Or both. "Twilight Town. Top of the clock tower always had the best view. It's where we-" He stopped short, shaking his head as he shut his eyes tightly, continuing in a voice so low it was almost a whisper. "Where we used to unwind after missions. Eat ice cream, talk, sometimes just sit there doing nothing at all. Just the three-I mean… just the _two _of us… Until it wasn't anymore."

"...You and Roxas?" Kairi ventured, knowing it wasn't very often that Axel spoke so openly about his lost friend. And when he did, his tone was always tinged with the very same sort of tight remorse that it carried now.

"Yeah…" Axel sighed, saying nothing else as he bowed his head.

Silence lingered between the pair for quite some time after this, and in that time, Kairi admittedly had no idea what to even say. She looked to the former assassin sympathetically, knowing that his heart was aching and understanding exactly why. True, she may have never gotten to properly meet Roxas, but that didn't mean she didn't believe he deserved a chance at his own life and existence just as much as anyone else did. And as far as she was concerned, he wasn't the only one.

"We'll find some way to help him," Kairi spoke up, resolved. "Help _both _of them."

"Both?" Axel finally looked to her.

"Somewhere inside me is Naminé," she explained, lightly placing a hand over her heart. "If we can free Roxas somehow, then we can free her too."

"...Kairi," Axel began, his tone unclear, though all the same, she continued.

"Naminé was made when Sora freed me from his heart. So now that she's a part of me again, I figured all was right." Now it was Kairi's turn to release a regretful sigh all her own, bittersweet, all-too-brief memories of her Nobody filling her mind all the while. "But she can't look at this forest. She can't feel the wind on her face or walk through the grass. None of it. And if she could, it would be _different _for her."

Kairi stared out toward the sunset, silently wondering what Naminé might think of it if she could see it for herself. What would she say if she were there with them now? What would she do? What path would she take if she was allowed to live her life on her own? "Her time was short… but she lived it, and that makes it hers. What right did I have to take those feelings and experiences back?" she shook her head sadly, mournfully almost. "They don't belong to me. _Nothing's _as it should be… Not for her _or _Roxas…"

For what seemed like ages, Axel said nothing to this, though when he did, he hardly tried to argue with Kairi on this point. Mostly because it was absolutely, undoubtedly _right_. "I know…" he said, before going off on a seemingly different tangent altogether. "Way back when I was younger, I met this other weird kid. Somehow, we became fast friends. But after we met, I never saw him again-nearly forgot about him too. Then… I met Roxas. Couldn't believe it; the two of 'em were _identical_!"

"Really?" Kairi asked, intrigued.

"Like twins," Axel nodded, finally cracking a small grin. "'Course, I didn't tell Roxas. Didn't want _him _to go vanishing on me too. Though… I guess it's a little too late for that now, huh?"

"Axel…" Kairi frowned, though this time, Axel's tone seemed just a bit lighter as he looked to the sunset-streaked skies above.

"The kid's name was Ventus. He's one of the lost Keyblade wielders we're looking for. What a coincidence, huh?" Axel chuckled somewhat bitterly. "Think he's still got _me _memorized?"

"Oh yeah," Kairi shared his smile, mimicking the former assassin's usual phrase. "_Very _memorized."

Axel smiled at this, though only briefly. "Sooner or later, our training's gonna be over," he said. "And whenever we _do _go back… I have a feeling I'm gonna be running myself ragged with worry over everything. Over Roxas, over Ventus… Heck, Naminé too. So many hearts we gotta bring back… where are we even supposed to start?"

"I… don't know," Kairi admitted truthfully. "But that's ok for now. At least you don't have to worry alone anymore, Axel."

The former assassin nodded, warmly accepting the kind solidarity she was offering him. "You know, it's kinda funny," he remarked, leaning back. "Well… maybe not funny as much as it is sick and twisted but… whenever I make a friend, I always seem to lose 'em somehow. First there was Isa-I mean, Saïx. Then there was Ventus. Then Roxas and-" He stopped short, his brow furrowed as he nearly listed a name he couldn't even recall. A name that very well didn't even exist in the first place. "A-and… that's it. Guess I'm pretty unlucky when it comes to holding onto friends, huh?"

"Axel…" Kairi began earnestly, placing a comforting hand against his arm. "You haven't _lost _any of them. There's still a way we can bring them all back, I'm sure of it. And… just for the record, you haven't lost your _newest _friend yet, have you?"

"Newest friend?" Axel turned to her, confused.

"Me, silly!" she laughed brightly.

"You?" the former assassin gaped, amazed, realizing that this was perhaps the very first time Kairi had _ever _actually referred to them as friends. Even so, it was a very welcome change, especially considering where they'd started from weeks ago. "Nope," he grinned, countering her hand on his arm with a firm, solidifying hand on her shoulder. "Looks like I haven't."

_Roxas and Naminé… There has to be _something _we can do to help them. And even if Axel and I aren't able to figure something out, then I have a feeling _you _will, Sora. After all, their hearts are both connected to yours. And no one knows your heart better than you. _

_Like I said before, there are so many people counting on you… So much is on your shoulders, sometimes I don't know how you even handle it all, but you _do _all the same. It won't be easy, but I hope through everything, you'll remain the happy and cheerful Sora I've always known. There's no heart your smile can't reach. _

_Including mine._

_I suppose that's all for now. I'll try to write more tomorrow after training is over. As always, Sora, I miss you, and can't wait to see you again. But until I can, remember: I'm thinking of you, wherever you are. _

_Love, _

_Kairi_

* * *

**So this was a bit of a fun little experimentally written chapter, allowing me to do some fun stuff with formatting what with Kairi's letters interspersed throughout. Also, I'm super sorry if any of the Final Fantasy characters in this were OOC, I've never played any of those games and the only thing I know about any of them is what I've seen through KH games! But either way, I hope you liked this, especially since it includes some nifty bits of foreshadowing... ;) Anyway, next time around our trio ventures out to another Disney world, this time taking to the open seas (with a world based on what's probably my personal favorite Disney movie, so that's exciting!) But until then, please don't forget to leave a REVIEW letting me know what you thought! Until next time! :D **


	18. Chapter 17: How Far I'll Go

_Oof, well, first of all happy new year everyone! Second of all this chapter 1. took me way longer to write than it should have and 2. isn't one I'm... super proud of mostly cause its kinda standard as far as a Disney chapter goes. Which sorta sucks cause I love, LOVE the movie this world is based on, but idk... it was just... kinda tricky to make things connect in it the way I wanted it to? Which is also why this chapter is shorter than it was original gonna be, mostly since I got massive creative burnout while working on it. Eh, it happens, but either way, I hope you still find something to like in it all the same. Enjoy!_

* * *

_Chapter 17: How Far I'll Go_

_See the line where the sky meets the sea? It calls me  
But no one knows how far it goes  
If the wind in my sail on the sea stays behind me,  
One day I'll know,  
If I go there's just no telling how far I'll go_

"_There's a line where the sky meets the sea…"_

She ran away from the healing hut as fast as she could, grief and duty prompting every painful step forward. At the same time, she dared herself not to look back, knowing that if she did, whatever was still there for her was all too quickly fading away.

"_And it calls me…"_

She briefly feared that her mission was doomed before it had even begun when her mother caught her hastily packing up her supplies for the trip. And yet… she didn't stop her, instead understanding exactly what she needed to do and why as she helped her gather all that she'd need for the perilous journey ahead of her.

"_But no one knows… how far it goes…"_

With tears in her eyes, she parted ways with her mother, running off again, this time into the night. Into whatever fate had in store for her now.

"_All that time wondering where I need to be is behind me…"_

She ventured into the hidden shipyard alone, letting the heart guide her to the perfect vessel, the boat that she hoped would carry her, not just to her destiny, but to the salvation of her island and her people.

"_I'm on my own… to worlds unknown!"_

Not wanting to waste another second, she shoved her supplies below deck and pushed the canoe into the water, determination replacing the anguish that had first brought her here.

"_Every turn I take, every trail I track, _

_Is a choice I make, now I can't turn back,_

_From the great unknown, where I go alone,_

_Where I long to be…"_

Her heart pounded with both fear and excitement as she emerged from under the waterfall and drifted out onto the open sea. And yet, as she did, she finally looked back to the island she was leaving behind, catching sight of one hut in particular just as the lights-and the fading life within it-were ultimately snuffed out.

And yet… just as one life ended, a new one seemed to begin.

Before the grief of what she had lost could even touch her, a massive, graceful glow took shape in the darkness of the ocean below her. That light took on the form of a radiant manta ray, one that glided-no, _flew_-right under her boat, sparking warmth and comfort within her heart all at once to push her onward.

"_See her light in the night in the sea? She calls me!"_

She followed that light, _her _light toward the waves, toward the vast, unknown horizon ahead.

"_And yes I know that I can go!"_

Tears brimmed in her eyes against the cool breeze of the starry night, but they were hardly tears of grief this time. Rather, they were tears of hope, of love, for she knew that however daunting this journey might her, her grandmother would be with her every step of the way, just like she'd promised.

"_There's a moon in the sky and the wind is behind me. Soon I'll know…"_

With a strong pull, she unfurled her sail, bracing herself as her boat skipped over a high wave, _finally _breaking past the barrier of the reef for the first time. Past the barrier of everything she'd ever known before.

"_How far I'll go!"_

* * *

"Alright, Sora, this is it," Donald remarked with a smug, challenging smirk. "There is absolutely _no way _in the worlds that we're gonna find a Key _here_. Looks like that instinct of yours is finally wrong."

"Ya mean Sora's Keys Instinct?" Goofy inquired.

"Again, _not _calling it that!"

Sora didn't respond to his companions right away, instead looking at the vast landscape all around them. Or rather, the _lack _of a landscape, considering the fact that they were surrounded by nothing but endless ocean on all sides. The sun reflected brightly off the calm, bright blue waters, a color matched by the prestinely cloudless skies above. Likewise, the air was quite warm, tropical even, an atmosphere the Keybearer knew quite well with thanks to his own island home. And yet, as familiar as this ocean rung, no islands, or boats for that matter, seemed to dot it, save for the very simple, very small wooden raft the trio miraculously managed to find and scale up onto upon their arrival to this seemingly barren new world. And yet… something _was _indeed there, Sora could practically _feel _it, even if he had no real idea as to what that something was.

"Actually…" Sora grinned confidently as he surveyed the open seas once more. "I hate to break it to you, Donald, but… I'm _pretty _sure there _is _a Key in this world after all. Sorry."

"Oh, why?" the magician scoffed skeptically. "'Cause your 'instinct' told you so?"

"Yeah, pretty much," the Keybearer said, finally turning to face his companions, only to notice their change in attire. Such a change wasn't uncommon among many of the worlds the trio visited, often put on by Donald's magic as a way of helping them better fit in and maintain world order. This time around, their clothing was quite simple, matching the tropical vibes of their current setting, with well-crafted skirts made out of burlap, leaves, and various other natural materials, all coming together to create a fresh, island look that the Keybearer couldn't help but appreciate. "Hey, cool! Your outfits are… uh…" Sora trailed off, his smile fading as he took stock of the dumbfounded, practically shocked looks both Donald and Goofy were sending his way. He nearly asked them what was wrong until he happened to glance down at himself, catching a glimpse of his own new outfit, as well as something else. A secret that had, up until now, been quite well-kept, but was now completely laid bare for all to see thanks to that new outfit.

And of course, Sora barely even had time to let out a startled gasp over that before both Donald and Goofy were already pressing him for answers. "Sora!" the magician snapped hotly, angrily. "You told us the scar was gone! You _promised _us!"

"Y-yeah, I-I did," the Keybearer took in a deep, anxious breath as he crossed his arms over his chest, trying his best to cover the glaring, x-shaped scar. "I-I just-"

"You _just _LIED to us, several times!" Donald seethed, clearly furious by the deception. "We asked you over and over again about the scar and each time you said 'oh, its gone' or 'oh, it isn't there anymore' when it _was _there all along!"

"Sora," Goofy began, much more calmly, but still clearly upset himself. "Why would ya hide something like this from us? You know the only reason we kept askin' about the scar so much was just 'cause we were worried about ya, right?"

"I _do _know that," the Keybearer sighed remorsefully, stealing another worried glance down at the scar himself.

"Then why did you lie about it?!" Donald demanded harshly. "Especially when you _knew _I'd be able to heal it!"

"Because you _can't _heal it!" Sora suddenly snapped, largely without even meaning to. Even so, he wished he could have retracted this revelation based on the incredulous looks his companions sent his way upon hearing it.

"What do ya mean?" Goofy asked with a frown.

"I mean I already _tried _healing it on my own and-"

"Curaga!" Donald caught the Keybearer off guard, cutting his explanation off with a sudden cast of powerful healing magic. The warm glow of said magic did surround Sora briefly, and yet it ultimately did nothing to even ease the damning mark, which was still just as ever present, even upon a second attempt.

"...And it didn't work…" Sora finished fretfully, looking toward the sea to avoid having to look at the horrendous scar and all he knew it really represented.

"W-wha-but why wouldn't it?!" Donald asked, baffled as he shook his wand a bit, even though he was sure it wasn't the reason behind this magical malfunction.

"Maybe it's because of somethin' Young Xehanort did when he first gave ya the scar?" Goofy proposed thoughtfully.

"I-I… don't know," the Keybearer admitted, even if it was something of a lie. For a while now, he indeed _had _suspected that the young master had something to do with the scar's persistence, especially given all of the other concerning warning signs that had come along with it. In fact, the theory seemed to be downright common sense, all things considered. And yet, even despite this, the scar itself seemed to carry no other ill effects outside of its inability to be healed. While Sora had initially feared that the Organization would perhaps use said scar, or sigil, rather as a way of tracking his every move, they hardly even seemed to be doing that if Demyx's clear surprise upon running into the trio in the previous world was any indication. By all accounts, it seemed as though Xehanort himself wasn't doing much in regards to his supposed claim on the Keybearer's heart. Which was why Sora figured that, outside of the few relatively minor points of concern, including the scar itself, he didn't really have much of anything to worry about or fear after all. At least, that's what he continued to hope.

"Well, even if it won't heal, that's _no _excuse for not telling us about it!" Donald scowled, still clearly upset. "_Especially _after you promised you'd stop hiding things like this from us!"

"That's right," Goofy firmly agreed. "Like we've been sayin': we're a team, Sora. And teams _don't _keep secrets from each other!"

"I know…" Sora sighed, recalling all of the many times he'd _almost _told his companions about the scar. Or the times he'd _almost _told them about the jagged cracks marring his Keyblade, a secret he was _still _readily keeping from them. And yet, every single time he almost told them… something always seemed to hold him back and lock those secrets into silence, at least until they could remain hidden no longer. "But I-wait." The Keybearer stopped short, his focus drawn away from the conversation and out toward the distant horizon of the ocean far beyond them. "What's that?"

"Don't try to change the subject!" Donald accused and yet Sora largely ignored him, instead keeping his sights on the vast ocean ahead. The Keybearer stepped up to the edge of the tiny raft the trio was standing on, straining to make anything else out about the speck of movement he'd barely managed to spot from afar. That speck seemed to be drifting closer from the open seas, sticking out distinctly from the otherwise unchanging blue seas.

"Gawrsh, is that… a boat?" Goofy wondered, squinting off in the same direction as the Keybearer.

"What?" Donald squawked, finally joining his companions in taking a look. "We're in the middle of nowhere! Who would be crazy enough to be all the way out here?!"

"Shucks, ya mean other than us?" Goofy replied with a small chuckle.

"Wait a second…" Sora frowned as he took another, closer look at the still-far away boat. "It looks like something's climbing up its sail…"

"Oh yeah, I see it too," the captain noted. "Oh! There's a few of 'em. Small and dark and twitchy, sorta like-"

"Heartless!" all three of them exclaimed in startled unison as they noticed the darkened swarm attacking the boat. However, the supposed Heartless were far from its only passengers, as a lone figure swiftly emerged from the other side of the sail, doing her best to beat the invading creatures back with nothing but a wooden oar on hand.

"There's somebody on it!" Sora exclaimed, startled as he summoned his Keyblade and plunged its tip into the water. "We gotta help her! C'mon!"

Without anything else to row with, Donald and Goofy also called upon their own weapons and joined the Keybearer in trying to get their raft moving. Unfortunately, a Keyblade, a staff, and a shield weren't exactly well-suited as substitutes for oars, which was why the raft barely even managed to move across the far-too still ocean at all. That is, until the Ocean itself decided to get involved.

Without any warning, the raft suddenly lurched forward, catching the trio off guard as they all clumsily fell back upon it. Even so, their makeshift vessel practically skipped across the sea at a blinding speed, until it inevitably deposited the trio exactly where they wanted to go, onto the boat that was being beset by the Heartless.

Except… upon a second glance, it was quite clear that these creatures _weren't _Heartless after all.

Rather, these monsters, while every bit as dark and devious as standard Shadows were, were arguably even more insect-like in appearance, with long, jagged antenna, short, pointed limbs and sharp, blaring red eyes. But what they did have in common with the Heartless was their aggression as they shrieked and scampered about the boat, intent on causing as much relentless damage and chaos as possible.

"Huh?" Sora looked around at the rampaging, unknown creatures with apt confusion. "What are-"

"Hey!" The Keybearer was succinctly cut off by the arrival of the girl the trio had only briefly spotted on the boat mere moments ago. She jumped down from her perch against the tall canvas sail, smacking a few of the shadowy creatures out of the way as she landed on the tiny boat's now rather-cramped deck. Her expression, while stressed, was fierce as her long, dark, wavy hair blew tousled by the stir of the chaos, the skirt of her simple, natural outfit that looked quite similar to the new clothing the trio themselves were now wearing doing the same. From a cursory glance, she seemed to be roughly around Sora's age, with a slender yet steady build as she gripped her oar tightly, ready to continue the fight, even despite the trio's puzzling, sudden arrival. "Who are you? Where'd you come from?"

"Don't worry," Sora assured, knowing there was no time for introductions as he called his Keyblade back into his hands to ward off this threat. "We're here to help!"

The girl looked over the trio skeptically for a moment, before she ultimately nodded, accepting their aid. And with that, everyone launched themselves into the fray, tackling these bizarre new creatures with gusto, even as more appeared to take the place of those that had fallen. And yet, the outnumbered group didn't lose heart as they continued to battle this threat, with the trio being more than well-versed in taking on creatures such as these by now. The girl seemed a bit less practiced, for even despite her apparent agility and dexterity, these monsters were clearly out of her element. Even so, she bravely stood her ground right alongside the trio, right until the very last of the creatures fell into the sea, defeated.

"Oof… looks like all those old stories were right," the girl sighed, exhausted as she leaned against her boat's sail. "The ocean really _is _full of monsters… But thanks for the help," she smiled gratefully to the trio. "I gotta admit, I… kinda needed it."

"No problem," the Keybearer warmly returned her smile. "So now that we're _not _surrounded by a ton of monsters… I'm Sora."

"I'm Donald!" the magician piped up enthusiastically.

"And I'm Goofy," the captain waved. "Pleasure to meet ya."

"It's good to meet you guys too," the girl chuckled, charmed by the trio. "I'm Mo-" She suddenly stopped herself short, clearing her throat as she straightened her posture to come off as more authoritative, almost as if she was reciting something she'd been practicing several times over. "I am Moana of Motunui. And I am searching for Maui, shapeshifter and demigod of the wind and sea. He will board my boat, sail across the sea, and restore the heart of Te Fiti."

Naturally, the trio exchanged a glance at this, lacking the proper context to really understand what Moana was really talking about. Even so, Sora still offered her a smile, albeit a bit of a confused one as he took her word for it all. "Um… ok…. Anyway, Moana, have you ever seen monsters like those around here before?"

"No, never," Moana dropped her serious demeanor for a more natural one. "They just showed up on my boat and started attacking me and Heihei."

"Heihei?" Goofy asked, confused.

"Oh! That's right!" Moana gasped, glancing around before reaching down into the boat's small storage cutout and pulling up a basket covering a previously hidden passenger: a scrawny, wild-eyed chicken. "Sora, Donlad, Goofy, meet Heihei."

While the most Heihei offered the trio in the way of a greeting was a loud squawk, one that wasn't even aimed at any of them but in the exact opposite direction instead. All the same, the trio exchanged an amused glance over the rather dim-witted chicken, especially as it tried walking forward, only to repeatedly run right into the side of the compartment it was standing in instead. "Uh, heya, Heihei," Sora greeted with a good-natured smile.

"You know," Moana spoke up as she pulled Heihei back onto the deck. "You guys seem like _you've _seen those sorts of monsters before based on how well you fought them."

"Well, we _have _fought monsters before, but… never ones like those…" Sora frowned, casting a glance over to the sea.

"Actually," Donald interjected thoughtfully. "I feel like we _have _seen them before!"

"What?" Sora turned to his companions, confused. "No, we haven't. Or… at least, _I _haven't…"

"Hm…" Goofy pondered, scratching his head. "It's on the tip of my tongue… I remember the King told us somethin' about… nega-tive emotions?"

"...Unversed?" Donald suggested, somewhat offhandedly.

"Oh yeah! Them!" Goofy readily agreed, despite the fact that Sora was clearly still out of the loop. And he was far from the only one as Moana stood by in silence, even more lost than the Keybearer himself currently was.

"Unversed…?" Sora repeated dubiously.

"Uh huh," Goofy nodded. "A while back, the King fought a whole bunch of battles against 'em with the three missing Keyblade wielders."

"The same three we're looking for?" the Keybearer asked, curious. "Aqua, Terra, and Ventus?"

"Yep! We need more dependable help than _you_!" Donald teased with a knowing smirk.

"Hey!" Sora snapped in faux offense.

"Still, how come the Unversed are showin' up now…?" Goofy wondered, getting the conversation back on track.

"Um, hey, sorry, but, uh, I'm still here, remember?" Moana suddenly interjected, stepping between the trio. "Mind filling me in on what all this 'Unversed' stuff is all about?"

"Oh, sure," Sora agreed somewhat obliviously. "You'd like the King, he-" The Keybearer was immediately cut off by his companions as they mutually rushed in to cover his mouth before he could reveal anything else.

"Order!" they both exclaimed with the simple, usual reminder that was easily enough to get Sora to comply as they let him go.

"R-right, uh… well..." he turned back to Moana, who was more bewildered than ever before based on her incredulous expression alone. "I-it's not really that important. I'm sure that your whole thing about that-what was his name again?-that uh, Muoy guy is _way _more interesting."

"Uh… I think you mean Maui," Moana smirked. "You know, only one of the most infamous demigods ever? Everyone on my island has grown up hearing stories about him, so it's… sort of weird that you _haven't _heard of him. Where'd you three say you were from again?"

"Oh! Uh… we're…" Sora trailed off, looking to Donald and Goofy, who both silently urged him to not be as candid as before. "We're from… wait. Did you say you're from an island?"

"Uh… yeah," Moana nodded. "Motunui. Have you heard of it?"

"Well, no…" Sora shrugged. "But it's a pretty cool coincidence since I'm from an island too!"

"Sora!" Donald immediately chastised, though this time Sora hardly heeded him.

"Really?" Moana asked, instantly intrigued. "Which one?"

"Um… let's just say its an island that's… _very _far away from here," the Keybearer explained, momentarily satisfying the hot-tempered magician. "You've probably never heard of it."

"Heh, you'd probably be right," Moana crossed her arms, her expression somewhat bittersweet. "Up until now, I've never even _left _my island before."

"Gawrsh, why not?" Goofy asked.

"Well, I've always _wanted _to, but let's just say… I never really had a chance to chance to get out on the ocean before," Moana said, glancing out at the vast sea. "At least… not until the Ocean came to get me itself."

Her small smile widened as she turned to the ocean in full, prompting the others to do the same as they caught a sight that easily caught the trio off guard. Just behind Moana, a large swath of water rose up, seemingly on its own accord, taking on the shape of a wave that seemed to be held in place as it seemed to "look" down at the group gathered on the boat before it.

"Oh, did I forget to mention?" Moana grinned back at the clearly dumbfounded trio behind her. "The Ocean is a friend of mine."

"Since when is the ocean _alive_?" Donald muttered incredulously. Of course, the Ocean heard this remark and responded accordingly, aiming a direct deluge of water straight at the magician and completely drenching him in the process, much to his annoyance. "Hey!"

"Aw, c'mon, Donald," Sora chuckled alongside both Goofy and Moana over the magician's misfortune. "You gotta admit the Ocean has a pretty good sense of humor."

"Hmph, _sure, _it does…" Donald deadpanned, wringing water out of his feathers.

"This might sound a little crazy-well, not that this whole thing doesn't _already _sound completely crazy, but," Moana paused, taking in a brief breath before diving into her explanation. "The Ocean actually chose me to stop the darkness and save my people using this…" She carefully unlatched the locket on her necklace and took out a small green stone, one that glistened under the vibrance of the afternoon sun.

"Ooo…" Donald and Goofy were both quite fascinated by the obviously important relic, but Sora in particular seemed almost captivated by it, staring at the tiny stone with wide, wondering eyes. And all the while, sensing just how much life was radiating from it, life that was so _powerful _that it nearly overwhelmed the Keybearer entirely. And yet, he could also tell that whatever that power was, it was pure, it was _good, _and it was, without a doubt, something worth protecting.

"...It's a heart…" Sora whispered, his eyes never leaving the stone even as Moana drew it back a bit in surprise.

"W-what? How… how did you know that?" she asked, raising a cautious eyebrow as she held the precious relic closer, just in case.

"I-I don't know," the Keybearer shook his head as if to clear it. "It just… feels like it is one, you know?"

"I… don't…" Moana admitted, frowning. "But you are right; this _is _a heart. The heart of Te Fiti. It's why I'm out here, looking for Maui. He stole the heart from Te Fiti in the first place, which is why darkness is spreading across the sea. So now, he needs to go put it back so the darkness _won't _destroy everything. Does that make… any sense?"

"A lot of sense, actually," Sora nodded, easily understanding Moana's intended mission. "In fact, restoring hearts sounds a _lot _like something we've done before."

"_Many _times before," Goofy added.

"You could say we're experts at it!" Donald chimed in proudly.

"Experts, huh?" Moana chuckled, leaning against her oar. "Well, you guys sure seemed to be experts when it came to getting rid of those 'Unversed' things. So… if you three aren't busy with anything else… then I wouldn't mind having some backup-I-I mean, _company _on the way to Te Fiti. That is, if you want to…"

"Sure, we do!" Sora enthusiastically agreed, despite Donald adamantly shaking his head against the thought of candidly meddling once _again_. "Actually, this will work out great," the Keybearer turned back to his companions. "Not only can we help Moana, but we can also look for the Key while we do."

"Key?" Moana raised an eyebrow upon hearing this.

"Oh yeah. That's what we're out here looking for," Sora explained, calling upon their most recent Key so he could show her. "Long story short, we need to find thirteen of these, and I'm… almost certain there's one somewhere around here. You wouldn't happen to know where we might be able to find it, would you?"

"Uh… no?" Moana frowned, looking between the glittering Key and the Keybearer in apt bewilderment. "But we can always keep an eye out for it along the way. So, let's go!" She grinned confidently, sitting near the back of the boat to take up its controls once again. "Next stop, Maui." With this, she pulled the sail taunt, only for the wind to act against her, sending the boat drifting backward instead of forward. She briefly panicked, trying to gain control of the sail once again by pulling on its rope as hard as she could, only to more or less bring the vessel to a stand-still altogether. Moana let out a frustrated groan at this, brushing a few stray strands of hair out of her eyes before looking to the concerned trio before her almost pleadingly. "Uh… weird question, but… do any of you guys know anything about sailing?"

"Are you kidding, of _course _I do!" Sora exclaimed confidently. Perhaps a bit too confidently though, something that Donald was quick to call him out on.

"No, you don't," the magician argued flatly.

"Eh, how hard could it be?" the Keybearer shrugged, going over to join Moana. She readily handed the rope over to him, pointing out the boat's rudder in the process as well as she held onto the oar to be of some assistance when it came to steering. "Ok, so you just take this…" Sora began, somewhat unsteadily pulling on the sail only for the boat to turn in a fast, full circle as a result. Moana sent him a rather knowing look at this, though even so, he tried his best to play it off with a flustered laugh before trying again. "Alright, so this thing does… um…" his smile ultimately fell as he reached for the rudder, hesitating lest he end up turning the boat completely around altogether. "Ok, ok, I've got it this time, I _know _it," he shook his head, gripping the sail's rope tightly once more, only for Moana to do the same.

"You don't actually know a single thing about sailing, do you, Sora?" she asked with an empathetic smile.

"What? No, I _totally…_" Sora trailed off, letting out a small, defeated sigh as he admitted the truth. "Don't. Sorry."

"Heh, don't worry about it," Moana laughed warmly. "You're definitely not alone on that front." Her humorous manner dropped as she looked back out to the sea once more somewhat diffidently. "You know, it's kinda funny… My people, they were descended from voyagers. They used to sail all over the great sea, discovering new islands everywhere they went! Then… thanks to Maui stealing the heart of Te Fiti… they just… stopped. Without the heart, monsters started coming out of the ocean and… I guess it just scared everyone into staying on land."

"...Is that why you've never left your island until now?" Sora asked, curious.

Moana nodded, gripping her necklace that contained the heart of Te Fiti safely within. "M-my… my grandmother told me the Ocean chose me for a reason, but… why would it choose someone who doesn't even know how to sail…?"

Sora paused, thinking over this bout of doubt before offering her the most natural response he could think of. "Maybe… it's not about sailing. Maybe the Ocean chose you because it knows you can do something that nobody else can."

"You think so?" Moana smiled over to him, hopeful. "Well, I'd love to know what that something is… But, I guess that's why I'm out here in the first place, huh? To find out."

"If it makes you feel any better," Sora began, leaning back as he looked to the clear skies ahead. "When I first left my island, I didn't really know what I was doing either. I was lost and alone and _scared _and all I wanted to do was find my friends and get back home. But then… I met Donald and Goofy," he nodded up to his companions as they sat a bit ahead on the boat. Both of them gladly returned his nostalgic smile, remembering that meeting and their very first adventure together just as well as the Keybearer himself did. "And… believe it or not, _they _were the ones who helped me find my way."

"Find your way…" Moana repeated, largely to herself as she wondered exactly _who _she had to help her find her own way. Especially now that one of the only people she'd always looked to for guidance was gone...

"Gawrsh…." Goofy spoke up, looking past the pair at the back of the boat. "It's startin' to get a little cloudy over that way…"

"Cloudy?" Moana turned, though the moment she did, her heart instantly sank at what she saw. Approaching all too quickly from beyond the horizon were dark, ominous clouds, covering the clear skies with pitch black darkness. But that wasn't the only cause for concern, for as those clouds rolled in, so did thunder, echoing across the sea as lightning flashed warningly over the water. "A storm!" Moana shouted, quickly reaching throwing the sail's rope to Sora as she began paddling as hard as she could with her oar.

"Maybe we can outrun it," the Keybearer purposed, looking up to his companions. "Any ideas?"

"None except for what Moana's doin'," Goofy said, urgently plunging his shield into the water to aid in the effort. "Paddle us outta here!"

Donald was ready to do the same, only to notice Heihei verging on the edge of walking right over the edge of the boat just as the storm fell upon them. The magician lunged forward, barely catching the chicken by the leg just as a series of uproarious waves began to rock the tiny boat back and forth aggressively.

"Uh, O-Ocean!?" Moana shouted breathlessly over the clanging thunder. "A little help here?!"

Unfortunately, the Ocean didn't seem to comply. If anything, it only reacted harsher, the waves rising as a massive torrent of rain began to fall from the dark clouds above. As another one of those waves crashed into the boat, it listed hard to its side, practically knocking all five of its passengers off entirely. Still, they all held on, even as the vessel crashed down onto its other side. And yet, that was clearly only the beginning.

The boat's sail absolutely wavered under the near hurricane winds acting against it, to the point that neither Sora nor Moana could hold into it no matter how hard they tried. As a result, the vessel spun itself about wildly, the waves still casting it to and fro against the raging sea until it could remain upright no longer. A particularly momentous wave bombarded it seemingly out of nowhere, one that was more than enough to tip the unsteady boat over altogether. Time seemed to slow as it fell over, everyone upon it panicking to grasp onto something as they were plunged into the unforgiving ocean below.

Moana was the first to surface, clinging tightly onto the boat's underside as she desperately looked around for any signs of Sora, Donald, or Goofy amidst the roaring waves. Fortunately, all three of them were close behind her when it came to emerging from the sea, but based on everyone's mutual struggle to even anchor themselves to the vessel simply to stay afloat, it was clear none of them would be able to hold out against such an intense storm for too much longer.

"O-Ocean!" Moana cried again, practically pleading with the sea against the pouring rain. "Help us! _Please_!"

The trio was likewise equally on the verge of joining her in calling on the Ocean for its much-needed aid, that is, until said ocean submerged them with yet another unexpected wave. However, as they all surfaced from the surging sea once more, they were met with the Ocean's answer to their distressful straits: another wave, one that was much more towering and terrifying than any of the rest. It rose countless feet above the tiny boat and those holding onto it, who could do nothing but stare up at the curling wave as it bore down upon them, giving them no time, and no chance to escape it.

In an instant, the wave crashed down upon them, everything going black as all four of them were seemingly lost to the wrath of the sea.

* * *

"_Ba-CAW!" _Heihei's usual somewhat shrill cawing was muffled under the hallowed half of a coconut resting on his head. He did somehow manage to shake it off, only to wander right off the skewed tip of the sail he had been perched on, landing squarely on the sand below. Or rather, on Moana, who was essentially buried in that sand.

The girl darted upright, startled and weary, practically drenched in dry, white sand from head to toe. As consciousness returned to her, she briefly cast a look at her current surroundings: a seemingly small, rocky island with hardly any life to speak of upon it. An island that was unquestionably in the middle of absolutely nowhere, and quite clearly abandoned, at least from an initial glance.

After taking a moment to make sure that the heart of Te Fiti was still securely contained inside her necklace, Moana did happen to find another sign of life in the form of a pair of feet poking out from the far side of the overturned boat stuck in the sand behind her. "Sora?" she wondered aloud, and sure enough, the Keybearer sat up, tiredly leaning forward from beyond the boat to reveal he was just as covered in sand as she was.

"Ugh… what happened?" he asked, shaking his head and brushing off sand in the process. "Where are we?"

"No idea…" Moana sighed, standing up. "Are Donald and Goofy ok?"

"I don't know if I'd use the word 'ok'..." Donald grumbled, sullenly trudging over to the pair, seaweed slung over his beak and a starfish clinging onto his arm. The magician let out a noisy huff as he got rid of both of them, ignoring the amused chuckles from pair before him.

"Wait… where's Goofy?" Sora asked, glancing around for any signs of the captain.

"You mean he's not with you?" Donald asked, raising a concerned eyebrow.

"No…" the Keybearer frowned, growing increasingly worried himself. "Goofy?!" he called, joining Donald in further searching the island. "Where are yo-" Sora was abruptly cut off upon tripping over something sticking out of the sand. Upon a second glance, both Sora and Donald realized in dumbfounded surprise that it was none other than a pair of arms, clearly Goofy's, resting peacefully on the sand, with the tip of his nose also surfacing as it lazily snored away. The rest of the captain, however, was completely buried in a sizable sand dune, at least until the Keybearer and the magician worked together to pull him out of it. As soon as they did, however, both of them quickly fell back into the sand, allowing Goofy to properly sit up and stretch himself out from his bout of slumber.

"Oh, heya, fellas!" he greeted his disoriented companions warmly. "I gotta say, that was just about the best nap I've had in a _long _time. Who could've guessed that sand was so… well, comfy!?"

"Speak for yourself…" Donald glowered, brushing the sand off his tailfeathers as he stood.

"Well, at least we're all safe and accounted for…" Moana noted, walking over to the trio. "No thanks to a certain _Ocean_…" Her expression soured as she began to march over to the shore, glaring hotly at the now-calm sea lapping onto it almost mockingly. "Um… _WHAT?!_" she demanded, seething with fury over the peril her supposed 'friend' had just put them all through. "I said _help_ us! And wrecking my boat? _Not _helping!" In a further show of frustration, she made an attempt at kicking the water in retaliation, only for said water to suddenly, intentionally rescind, sending her tripping and falling flat on her back. "Fish pee in you!" she shouted, jumping to her feet and pointing to the Ocean accusingly. "All day! So… augh!" With that, Moana turned on her heel, storming away from the Ocean altogether lest she continue an argument that she clearly couldn't win.

"Uh… are you ok, Moana?" Sora asked, genuinely concerned.

"To be honest? No," Moana replied flatly, leaning against her boat as she let out a disgruntled sigh. "I _thought _we were on track to finding Maui, but… who even _knows _where we are now! It could take us _days _just to figure out how to… how… to…" Moana trailed off, her anger dissipating into wonder as she looked toward the towering stones that made up most of the island. Stones that had been marked with a myriad of countless tally marks, all of which were arranged into the very specific shape of a very familiar hook. "No way…" she muttered in disbelief, briefly glancing back over at the Ocean for an answer. "...Maui?"

The Ocean swiftly collected itself into its usual swath, one that only offered Moana a single, solidifying wave before splashing back down into the rest of the sea. Surprised, she looked to her companions, eyes wide as she silently communicated to them what the Ocean had just told her.

"Wait, so this Maui guy you're looking for," Sora began, glancing around for anyone else. "He's _here_?"

"I-I guess so?" Moana shrugged, looking to the markings on the rocks again. "But if he is, then where-" She stopped short, taking in a fearful glance as loud footsteps began to echo across the sand from just behind the rocks. Sure enough, a large, intimidating shadow loomed on those stones, one that was clearly, steadily approaching the shore, along with all of them. "Maui!"

Acting quickly, Moana took the initiative, grabbing her oar first, then Heihei, all while beckoning Sora, Donald, and Goofy to follow her as she hid away behind the semi-buried boat. "Garwsh, Moana, I thought you were lookin' for Maui," Goofy noted in a somewhat confused whisper. "So why are we hidin' from him?"

"I-I just need time to think!" Moana said anxiously before plunging back into a frantic round of practice of her earlier spiel. "Maui, demigod of the wind and sea, I-I am Moana of Motunui. You will board my boat-No, you _will _board my boat… Oohhhh what if he doesn't listen?"

"Then we'll _make _him listen!" Sora assured, calling upon his Keyblade, just in case. "If Maui goes around stealing people's hearts, then he _could _be dangerous, just like the Organization," he noted to his companions in particular. "We should be ready for anything."

"Right," Donald and Goofy both nodded in firm agreement.

"R-right," Moana said, much more nervously as she gripped her oar tightly. "O-ok. Ok… I am Moana of Motunui." She began again, daring to peek out from beyond the boat to catch a glimpse of the demigod. "You will board my…" She trailed off, frowning in confusion as she realized Maui was nowhere to be found. Until…

"Boat! A boat!" The entire group was completely caught off guard as the boat itself was suddenly pulled out of the sand by none other than Maui himself.

Maui certainly lived up to the legendary title of demigod with his large, powerful figure, adorned by an incredible patchwork of ceremonial tattoos that covered just about every inch of him. He heaved the entire boat up into the air with hardly any effort whatsoever, clearly happy to see it as he held it high above his head triumphantly. "The gods have given me a-AH!" The demigod let out a frightened shriek the moment he spotted the group standing before him, accidentally dropping the boat altogether as he shrinked back in surprise.

Even so, Maui did bother to lift the boat once more to see if he actually did drop it on his unexpected guests. However, the only thing that emerged from the sand was Heihei, fortunately not completely crushed as his head poked lazily out of the sand.

"_Ahem_." Maui's confusion only grew as he turned, boat still in hand toward the group standing directly behind him. Moana still held onto her oar tightly, Sora, Donald, and Goofy standing supportively alongside her, all their weapons equally drawn and their expressions similarly stern. Even so, they let Moana lead with her well-practiced speech, one that she delivered evenly and resolutely, knowing there was no turning back now.

"Maui," she began, her tone and manner firm and unyielding, even as Maui looked down to her, bewildered. "Shapeshifter, demigod of the wind and sea-I am Moana of-"

"Hero of men."

Moana paused, caught off guard as she exchanged a brief, confused glance at the others. "W-what?"

"It's actually Maui, shapeshifter, demigod of the wind and sea…" Maui explained with a proud smile. "Hero of men. I interrupted; from the top, hero of men. Go."

Despite her initial surprise at this tangent, Moana shook her head, continuing her introduction with a level tone. Even if she didn't manage to get very far. "I am-"

"Sorry, sorry, sorry," Maui cut in once more. "And women. Men _and _women. Both. All. Not a guy/girl thing. You know, Maui is a hero to _all_."

"A hero?" Sora whispered to his companions, baffled by such a claim. "What kind of 'hero' steals someone's heart?"

Neither Donald nor Goofy had an answer to this, though Moana, on the other hand, was growing increasingly frustrated with the demigod's haughty attitude. "What? No!" she scowled, pointing her oar at him threateningly. "I'm here to-"

"Oh, of course!" Maui grinned, dropping the boat before taking the oar right out of her hands. "Maui _always _has time for his fans. And hey, it's not every day you get to meet your hero, so why not?" With a lack of anything else to write with, the demigod snatched Heihei out of the sand and used the tip of his beak to carve out a heart and hook on the flat side of the oar before presenting it back to Moana. "What about you, kid?" he glanced over at Sora next. "You want that-what is that thing, a key?-signed too? Huh, might have to find something sharper than the chicken for something like that though…"

Before the Keybearer even had a chance to respond, Moana cut in herself, abruptly bringing the flighty demigod back to reality with a swift swing of her oar to his midsection. As Maui doubled over in pained surprise, Moana grabbed him harshly by the ear, bringing him down to her level as she addressed him with a hard, angry tone. "You are _not _my hero. And we're _not _here so you can sign my oar or Sora's key or _anything _else! We're here 'cause you stole the heart of Te Fiti! And you _will _board my boat and sail across the sea and put it back!"

"That's right!" Sora agreed just as adamantly, still brandishing his Keyblade as Donald and Goofy did the same with their own weapons. "We're not about to let you get away with stealing hearts!"

"So you gotta help us put it back, just like Moana said!" Goofy chimed in.

"Or else!" Donald snapped, glaring the demigod down distrustfully.

However, despite these stern threats and warnings, Maui simply chuckled, clearly not taking any of them seriously, much to the group's continued annoyance. "Um… yeah. It almost sounded like you guys didn't like me, which is _impossible _because I got stuck here for 1,000 years trying to get the heart as a _gift _for you mortals."

"Yeah, right," Sora scoffed, clearly doubtful. "How is a _heart _a gift?"

"Uh, it is when it gives you the power to create life itself, duh," Maui pointed out smugly. The others all looked to each other in surprise at this news, wondering if there really was more of a motive behind the demigod's infamous theft of the heart of Te Fiti after all. "So yeah. I believe what you were _trying _to say is 'thank you'."

"Thank you?" Moana repeated, baffled.

"You're welcome!" Maui exclaimed brightly.

"Wha-no!" Moana countered, flustered. "I didn't-I-I wasn't-why would I _ever _say that-"

"Ok, ok," Maui chuckled, deciding to take a different tactic instead. Because at least from his perspective, these mortals were _clearly _confused so perhaps they needed just a bit of a reminder as to how important and powerful he truly was. And as far as the demigod was concerned, there was no better way to deliver that reminder than in the form of a song.

"_I see what's happening here,_

_You're face to face with greatness and its strange."_

At this, Maui pulled his shark-tooth necklace aside to reveal one of his many tattoos, this one depicting a tinier version of the demigod himself. However, what caught the others completely off guard was the small, friendly wink that tattoo _somehow _sent their way.

"_You don't even know how you feel. It's adorable!_

_Well it's nice to see that humans never change."_

Maui and his mini self continued this bout of playfulness as the tattoo scampered over to a blank spot on his arm before exchanging a brief fist bump. At this, the demigod grabbed Moana's hand and spun her about, stealing her oar in the process and setting her off even more, though he hardly seemed to notice as he continued.

"_Open your eyes, let's begin,_

_Yes, it's really me, its Maui, breath it in!_

_I know its a lot, the hair, the bod-_

_When you're staring at a demigod!"_

Caught up in his own upbeat melody, the demigod broke into an enthusiastic dance, one that he tried to pull Sora, Donald, and Goofy into it along with him as backup. Though given the circumstances, all three of them, of course, declined the offer.

"_What can I say except 'you're welcome'?_

_For the tides, the sun, the sky._

_There's no need to prey, it's ok, you're welcome!_

_I'm just an ordinary demi-guy!"_

"_Hey! What has two thumbs and pulled up the sky_

_When you were waddling yay high?_

_This guy!"_

As Maui detailed such grand feats, his tattoos showed the stories for him, with Mini Maui carrying each of them off with just as much bravado as the original had.

"_When the nights got cold, who stole you fire from down below?_

_You're lookin' at him, yo!"_

"_Oh, also I lassoed the sun-_

_You're welcome,_

_To stretch your days and bring you fun."_

"_Also I harnessed the breeze-_

_You're welcome!_

_To fill your sails and shake your trees!"_

For each of these incredible deeds, a crowd of tiny, tattooed folks cheered Mini Maui on, clearly hailing him as a hero for all he'd done for them. And the more they listened to his grand, courageous tales, the more Moana, Sora, Donald, and Goofy alike realized that perhaps Maui really hadn't been lying when he'd called himself a hero to all after all.

"_So what can I say except you're welcome?_

_For the islands I pulled from the sea._

_There's no need to pray, its ok, you're welcome! _

_I guess it's just my way of being me!_

_You're welcome! You're welcome!"_

"_Well-come to think of it..."_

"_Kids, honestly I could go on and on, I could explain every natural phenomenon: the grass, the tide, the grass, the ground! Oh, that was Maui just messin' around! I killed an eel, I buried its guts; sprouted a tree, now you've got coconuts! What's the lesson? What is the takeaway? Don't mess with Maui when he's on the breakaway! And this tapestry here on my skin is a map of the victories I win! Look where I've been, I make everything happen! Look at that mean Mini Maui just tippity tappin'-ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, HEY!" _

By now, the others were all enthusiastically caught up in the excitement, watching both Maui and his tattoo dance and sing about as they thoughtlessly followed his lead to another part of the island. The demigod's excitement seemed to grow at this as he went into his final verse, knowing that he was quite close to getting exactly what he'd been waiting 1,000 years straight for.

"_Well, anyway, let me say you're welcome_

_For the wonderful world you know!_

_Hey, its ok, its ok, you're welcome! _

_Well, come to think of it, I've gotta go!_

_Hey, it's your day to say, you're welcome,_

'_Cause I'm gonna need that boat! _

_I'm sailing away, away, you're welcome!_

'_Cause Maui can do anything but float!"_

"_You're welcome! You're welcome!_

As the others finally began to dance a bit to Maui's tune, he readily spun each of them out in turn. Out into the entryway of a cave that none of them had even noticed until they were on the verge of being trapped within it by none other than the demigod himself.

"_And thank you!"_

And with that, Maui rolled a heavy rock in front of the cave's entrance, easily locking all of them within.

"Wait, what?!" Sora exclaimed, caught quite off guard by this turn of events.

"Gah! He trapped us!" Donald shouted, infuriated by the deception.

"Gee, how come we didn't see this comin'?" Goofy asked, scratching his head. "Then again, that song _was _pretty distracting… _and _catchy!"

"Hey!" Moana shouted, taking the initiative as she furiously pounded against the rock trapping them inside. "Let us out! You lying, slimy, son of a-"

Of course, Maui heard none of these angry protests as he happily began making his way over to the now-abandoned boat, more than ready to use it to get away from the place that had essentially been his prison for the past millennium. Or at least he would have if Mini Maui didn't briefly pull him back by one of his other tattoos, sympathetically motioning toward the cave and the group his larger counterpart had just trapped inside it. "What? No," Maui scoffed at the tattoo. "I'm not going to Te Fiti with a bunch of mortals. I'm going to get my hook. You have yours, and I'm not Maui without mine." With that, the demigod continued on his way to the boat, snatching Heihei along the way so he could make a possible 'boat snack' out of him on the way to at long last reclaim his missing magical fish hook. And in the process, stay as far away from both Te Fiti and her heart as possible.

However, his getaway wouldn't be as smooth as he would have liked. For what Maui hadn't anticipated was Moana and Sora's shared resourcefulness. Resourcefulness that, when paired with Donald and Goofy's help, granted the entire group a hasty escape out of the cave and out to freedom atop one of the islands higher outcroppings. By then, Maui had already set sail, paddling away from the island and out toward the open sea, barely even wanting to look back.

"Good riddance, ya filthy pile of pebbles!" the demigod exclaimed, only to catch a disapproving glare from his mini counterpart. "Oh, no, no, no, don't look at me like that. It's a beautiful cave, they're gonna love it."

Of course, little did Maui know that the group had already slipped out of said cave. Moana did so first and she didn't even hesitate, not even waiting for Sora, Donald, and Goofy in her frustration as she raced forward toward the edge of the high cliff. And, largely without thinking, she lunged off of it, hoping to land squarely on the boat Maui had claimed as his own. The demigod was alerted by her fierce war cry as she did so, watching boredly as she ultimately ended belly flopping hard into the ocean directly behind him.

"Moana!" Sora exclaimed, concerned, as him, Donald, and Goofy remained standing atop the island's high point. Fortunately, Moana surfaced, unharmed, only for Maui to instantly taunt her the moment she did.

"You know, kid, I could watch that all day," he smirked down at her, barely even noticing the spots of darkness starting to form on the sail behind him. At least, until Moana's startled gasp alerted him to the presence of the horde of shadowy creatures starting to invade the boat from seemingly out of nowhere. "What? Hey!" the demigod stood, glaring down at the small, twitching monsters. "Get lost, you… uh… whatever you are! This is _my _boat!"

"It's _my _boat!" Moana snapped, struggling to swim to get on it.

"Correction, curly, _used _to be your boat. But hey, thanks again for the generous donation."

"Augh! I _didn't _donate anything to-ah!" Moana narrowly ducked out of the way of one of the small creatures that Maui tossed over the side of the boat. And in doing so, he allowed the trio still on the island to get a better glimpse at exactly what was happening down below.

"Unversed!" Sora shouted, quickly calling upon his Keyblade once more. While Donald and Goofy were more than ready to find a safer way to get down to the shore, the Keybearer simply followed Moana's example, stepping back a bit before racing right over the edge of the cliff, much to his companions' shared alarm.

"Sora!" they both shouted, startled by his reckless approach, though unlike Moana, they were relieved to see Sora actually stick his landing squarely on the boat.

The suddenness of said landing nearly tipped the boat over entirely, though that, paired with a larger Unversed storming the boat at the exact said time was what ultimately ended up knocking Maui off the back of the boat himself. Moana couldn't hold back a smug, satisfied grin as he clumsily splashed into the water alongside her, clearly far from pleased that he'd lost his recently-claimed boat already.

"You know," Moana echoed with a wry grin. "_I _could watch _that _all day."

Maui simply groaned at her, instead turning back to the boat to watch Sora begin taking on the Unversed. The collection of creatures ranged in size this time, from the tiny, Heartless-like creatures from before, to much larger, more varied monsters, though all of them were equally as fierce and vicious. Even so, Sora faced them squarely, bereft of Donald and Goofy as they were no doubt working their way down to the shore to enter the brawl in a much safer way than he had. While the rather tiny boat didn't offer much room to move around on, he made do with what he had, wisely tackling the smaller Unversed first before working his way up to the more monstrous of the group.

At first, his pace was steady as he knocked out the first round of Unversed, only for more to rise up to take their place. Unlike Heartless or Nobodies, Sora really had no idea what these creatures were or what they wanted, other than Donald and Goofy's vague explanation of 'negative emotions'. But if that's really what they were after, then why would they be showing up here and now in the first place? What or who could be putting off such intense negative emotions to attract a horde of Unversed as massive and ravenous as this?

As distracted as he was by such puzzling thoughts, Sora didn't even notice a few of the winged Unversed hovering around the boat suddenly divert their attention away from him and toward someone else instead. More specifically, Moana still wading in the water behind the boat as she struggled to climb aboard, competing with Maui as he did the exact same thing.

"Outta the way, kid," the demigod said, shoving her back into the ocean. "I've got a boat to catch."

"So do I!" Moana protested, trying her hardest to push him aside, only for his impressive girth to stop her in her tracks. She let out yet another disgruntled groan, her annoyance only increasing as the trio of winged Unversed began to swarm around her. Given their relatively small size, she initially ignored them, swatting them away as she continued her persistent attempts at getting her boat back from both the Unversed and from Maui alike. However, the birdlike creatures did become her immediate concern the moment one of them managed to catch her off guard by latching its claws onto her necklace. The very same necklace that contained the heart of Te Fiti.

"N-no!" she shouted, grasping onto the necklace tightly before the Unversed could snatch it away. She remained frantically kicking in the water to try and keep herself afloat, all while refusing to relinquish her hold on the locket containing the heart, even as the Unversed tried its hardest to pull it away from her. "Let go of it!"

"Hey, why not just let the little guy have it?" Maui asked, leaning an arm against the boat as he watched the ongoing struggle, amused. "Then you can just forget about that whole 'restore the heart of Te Fiti' kick, hang back here, and let me have your boat as a parting gift. Sounds like a pretty solid plan, huh?"

"S-stay out of this!" Moana huffed, sending a sharp glare the demigod's way as she pulled back against the Unversed with all her might. Yet even her severe perseverance proved to not be enough as the Unversed ultimately ended up pulling the necklace away from her entirely. And the moment it did, Moana forced herself into action without a second thought. Using all her strength (with perhaps a little bit of help from the Ocean), she practically launched herself onto the boat, scrambling onto its deck as she ignored Maui's baffled gasp as the Ocean more or less knocked him back in the process.

"Stop!" she cried, reaching for the winged Heartless as it started flying out of her reach. "Give it back!"

"Moana?!" Sora exclaimed, turning away from the Unversed he had just defeated to see her standing on the far side of the boat.

"Sora!" Moana yelled back, anxiously pointing up at the creature perched atop the sail, the necklace still in its grasp. "It's got-" She was suddenly cut off as one of the larger Unversed suddenly knocked her over, its clawed hand gripping her by the ankle before pinning her down, intent on a much more brutal attack, one that she was entirely defenseless against.

"No!" Sora panicked upon seeing this, to the point that he didn't even bother with his Keyblade as he reached a desperate hand out instead. "_Stop_!"

It was a moment that happened so quickly that Sora barely even had time to process it. A surge of energy, unknown, and _immensely _powerful, rushing through him. A sudden spark of vibrant gold flashing through his eyes. And a burst of raw, strong, practically overwhelming magic that exploded from his open palm, one was somehow blindingly bright yet shrouded in darkness all at the same time.

And that magic acted fast, slamming straight through the Unversed that was pinning Moana down and swiftly tearing it apart from the inside out until there was nothing left of the creature at all. From there, that magic burst into multiple spires of darkened light, each one targeting the remaining Unversed and in the process, wiping them out in one single, sufficient wave, effectively ending the threat they were currently posing altogether.

While Moana was quite surprised by the sudden save, no one was more shocked than Sora himself. As the last remains of that initial burst of magic faded, he looked down to the hand he had unintentionally cast it from, the very same hand he'd first noticed that shadowy patch of darkness on. And by all accounts, that darkness had seemed to grow a bit, stretching across almost his entire palm by now and reaching out toward his wrist and fingers. And yet, what was most mystifying was the aura of power that surrounded that hand now, wrapping it in a strange sort of darkness that contrasted sharply the luminous light that was equally engulfing it. Two equally powerful, yet absolutely opposite forces, both at war and at harmony with each other in a way the Keybearer couldn't even _begin _to understand.

"O-ok…" Moana spoke up, breathlessly sitting up and barely even noticing as her necklace fell squarely into her lap. "I don't know _what _that was, but… whatever you just did there, Sora? It was _amazing_!"

"I… I have no idea what it was either…" Sora admitted, still staring at his hand, even as the magic surrounding it slowly began to fade. "I've never been able to do… _anything _like that before. But…" He paused, glancing around the boat, now bereft of any sort of Unversed thanks to his unexpected show of immense strength. Strength that, if it was capable of clearing out threats and foes so easily, might not be as sinister as it initially seemed after all. "I guess it _was _pretty amazing..."

"Tch, now we've got _humans _running around with magical powers?" Maui said as he finally hoisted himself onto the boat. "What else did I miss over the last 1,000 years? What, can the chicken actually read and write too?" He asked, nodding down to Heihei, who had somehow wandered onto the boat from seemingly out of nowhere.

Before Sora could even try to explain himself to either Moana or Maui, Donald and Goofy finally emerged onto the shore of the still nearby island, not hesitating to wade out into the shallows so they could swim over to the boat themselves. "Sora!" Goofy called. "What happened?"

"Where are all the Unversed?" Donald asked as they both reached the boat.

"Uh…" Sora began, somewhat uncertain as he helped his companions onto the ship. "Well… I-I-"

"Oh! You guys should have seen it!" Moana chimed in excitedly. "Sora took out all of those monsters all at once with _magic_! I've never seen anything like it before!"

"Ah, please, kid, you act like it was the best thing you've ever seen," Maui scoffed, unimpressed. "It was _passable_, at best. Heck, if I had my hook, then I could have done the same thing ten times faster with my eyes closed." Of course, Mini Maui immediately called his bluff on such a hefty claim, shaking his head knowingly until the demigod quickly bumped him around to his back.

"Magic, huh?" Donald asked, raising a critical eyebrow at Sora.

"Uh, y-yeah, magic," the Keybearer nodded, deciding not to explain said magic further. At least not right now. "Looks like all those lessons in magic you used to give me finally paid off, Donald."

"Mm hm…" the magician nodded, still quite skeptical that the Keybearer had successfully managed to take out an entire horde of monsters _only _using magic. Especially when he typically favored simply using his Keyblade over it.

"Well, at least they're all gone!" Goofy cut in brightly.

"Which means," Moana turned to Maui with a determined grin. "We can finally set out to Te Fiti so _you _can restore the heart."

"Uh… yeah. No," Maui said flatly. "Not gonna happen. Not now, or ever. So, if you'll excuse me," Out of nowhere, he easily picked Moana up by the shoulders, depositing her over the side of the boat and back into the ocean first. "I've got a hook to go find. Now, which one of you guys is gettin' off next?" he asked the trio. "Unless you wanna make things easier and just all hop off at once, in which case, by all means, go for it. I'll wait."

"Oh, no," Sora shook his head firmly, taking on a stern tone with the tricky demigod. "We're not going anywhere until you help us restore that heart!"

"Uh, kinda hard to restore a heart I just tossed into the ocean along with curly there," Maui nodded over at the sea he'd just tossed Moana into. "So yeah… I feel for ya, kid, I _really _do. But that's gonna be a hard 'no' from me."

The trio was more than ready to keep this argument up, but fortunately they Ocean did so for them as it suddenly picked Moana up and dropped her squarely right back onto the boat directly in front of the dumbfounded demigod. He abruptly stood from his spot at the back of the vessel, stunned as he looked between the Ocean and the girl it had just recovered. "Did _not _see that coming…"

Even so, Moana swiftly turned to face him, furious with his continued antics as she pressed her mantra upon him once again. "I am Moana of Motunui. This is _my _canoe, and you _will _journey to-" She was suddenly cut off the moment Maui unexpectedly tossed her off the boat once again, only for the Ocean to, once again, pitch her back onto it mere seconds later. Annoyed, the demigod made a third attempt, this time jerking the boat backward in an attempt to knock the entire group off of it to leave him alone. But the Ocean was having none of it as it landed them all back on its surface, refusing to let Maui sail away without them.

"...This is just gonna keep going on forever, isn't it?" the demigod asked flatly.

"It _will _unless you restore the heart!" Moana snapped, pulling said heart out of her necklace. However, the moment she did, Maui snatched it, swiftly tossing it as far as he could out into the ocean, only for the Ocean to just as quickly toss it right back. "Oh, come on!"

"What is your problem?" Moana asked, reclaiming the heart and noting the demigod's anxious expression as she did. "Are you… afraid of it?"

"No!" Maui exclaimed, a bit to fearfully as he backed away from the heart, only to try laughing it off a moment later. "N-no, of _course _I'm not afraid."

"It sure does seem like you are," Donald pointed out knowingly.

"What kind of a demigod is scared of a heart?" Sora asked with a challenging chuckle.

"That is _not _a heart," Maui shook his head. "It's a curse. The second I took it, I got tossed out of the sky and lost my hook. G-get it away from me."

"Get _this _away?" Moana grinned, holding the heart out to him.

"Hey! H-hey, I'm a demigod, ok? Stop that! I will smite you! You wanna get smote? ...Smotten? Gah!" Frustrated, Maui stood, glaring the group before him down heatedly. "Listen, that thing doesn't give you the power to create life. It's a homing beacon of death. Why else do you think we were attacked by those weird creatures? If you keep waving it around like that, then all sorts of monsters are gonna be comin' after it."

"So?" Sora asked, quite unconcerned. "We can handle more than a few Unversed."

"Or any other monsters that come our way!" Goofy added confidently.

"Yeah! In fact, you just _saw _us take down a whole bunch of them!" Moana grinned brazenly. "Well… technically Sora took them down, b-but still. We're not afraid, unlike _you_."

"How many times do I have to tell you, kid, I'm _not _afraid!" Maui snapped stubbornly. "And I'm _not _taking that thing back. You wanna get to Te Fiti? You gotta go through a whole ocean of _bad_. Not to mention Te Kā," As Maui walked past them, he pointed to the most central tattoo on his back, one that depicted a fearsome monster, the very one that had struck the demigod down a thousand years ago. "Lava monster? Any of you ever defeat a lava monster?"

"Uh, that one Titan we fought back in Olympus counts as a lava monster, right?" Sora whispered to his companions, aside. Moana however, was quite blatant in admitting her lack of experience on that front.

"No. Have _you_?" she questioned Maui quite pointedly.

While the demigod was clearly flustered by such a dig, he calmly turned around all the same, facing the rest of the group squarely. "I'm not going on a suicide mission with a bunch of mortals," he said with a flippant grin. "You can't restore the heart without me… and me, says _no_. _I'm _getting my hook." Stern in his rather selfish resolve, he sat at the back of the boat, ready to steer it to wherever his treasured weapon lied and nowhere else, despite how intent the others were on changing his mind. "End of discussion."

Of course, even despite the demigod's succinct conclusion, none of the others were about to give up so easily, especially Moana. And fortunately, as she took a closer glance at Maui's many tattoos depicting his legendary feats of the past, she came up with a clever idea, one that she was quick to let Sora in on as subtly as possible.

"You know…" Moana began, her tone quite leading as she addressed Maui. "You'd be a hero…"

"That's right," Sora agreed. "A big-time hero. In fact, you _could _say you'd be… a hero to _all_?"

Maui did actually perk up a bit, somewhat interested as Moana continued. "That's what you're all about, right?"

"Tch, please," the demigod scoffed, calling their bluff. "I _am _a hero."

"Maybe you _were_," Moana corrected. "But now? Now you're just the guy who stole the heart of Te Fiti, the guy who cursed the world!"

"Sounds like you're the exact _opposite _of a hero if you ask me," Sora added, crossing his arms.

"Yeah? Well nobody asked _you_, kid," Maui glowered, though even as he did, Moana, Donald, and Goofy all agreed, shaking their heads disapprovingly at the demigod. Likewise, even Heihei and the Ocean itself seemed to carry the same sentiment, much to Maui's genuine surprise and even slight disappointment. Disappointment that was, perhaps for the very first time ever, reserved solely for himself.

"But…" Moana's smile widened as she showed off the heart of Te Fiti once more. "Put this back, save the world? You'd be _everyone's _hero."

Mini Maui seemed to agree with this ploy as he rushed over to a crowd of tiny tattooed people, conducting them in a round of excited cheers. Cheers that were given an audible voice by Moana, Sora, Donald, and Goofy as they all whispered along to them.

"_Maui! Maui! Maui!"_

"You're so amazing!" Moana capped it off, nearly convincing the demigod entirely until he ultimately forced himself back into reality.

"We'd never make it without my hook," he said dismissively as he rose to stand. "Not past Te Kā."

"Well then let's go find it!" Sora said enthusiastically.

"Yeah," Moana readily agreed. "We get your hook, take out Te Kā, restore the heart-"

"And get that Key!" Donald chimed in vigorously.

"Key?" Maui asked, out of the loop.

"Uh… we can explain that part along the way," Sora said quickly, lest they lose their momentum they were starting to gain in changing Maui's mind altogether. "That is… if you're up for coming along…"

"Unless…" Moana added just as pointedly, extending a hand out in offering to him. 'You don't wanna be… 'Maui, demigod of the wind and sea'... Hero to _all_?"

The demigod hesitated, clearly conflicted by the sheer danger of the mission, a danger he'd faced and failed against before. And yet… the promise of his former glory, the chance to attain the fame and adoration he'd once known… it was an opportunity that sounded far too good to turn down. "First, we get my hook," Maui said firmly, making it quite clear where he still stood on the matter.

"Then save the world!" Moana nodded, readily shaking the demigod's hand as he held his out to her.

Only for him to suddenly toss her back into the ocean for the briefest of moments until it carried her back onto the boat, just as it always did. "Eh, worth a shot."

And with that, Maui returned to his spot at the back of the boat, easily taking control of its sail as he plotted out their course using the emerging stars alone as a guide. Even though none of them knew exactly where he was planning on taking them, the others all watched in amazement as the demigod effortlessly steered the boat in the proper direction, guiding it over the rolling waves with a level of speed and expertise that had to be admired. Especially by Moana and Sora, given their shared, previously admitted abject lack of any sailing skills whatsoever.

Which was why Moana eagerly made the move to ask Maui for a few (or, more realistically much _more _than a few) tips when it came to sailing. Sora nearly did the same, that is, until he happened to catch one final glance of the seemingly abandoned island they were swiftly starting to leave behind.

He wasn't sure if it was his eyes playing tricks on him or the dawning darkness starting to settle over the island as a result of the sun setting over the sea. But for the briefest of moments, he saw it: a lone, human-like figure, shrouded in shadow as it stood atop one of the island's several rocky precipices. A figure that was clearly watching them from afar, and even despite the distance and even though he was unable to make really anything out about them, instantly set Sora on edge from the moment he saw them.

"Sora?" Goofy spoke up, noticing the Keybearer's strangely tense manner. "Is somethin' wrong?"

Sora only briefly turned away to look to his companions, noting their concerned expressions as he slowly released the fists he hadn't even realized he'd been clenching. He prepared to answer them, though as he looked back to the island once again, he found that the figure, whoever they'd been, was now completely gone.

"N-no," he said, even though it was a lie. "Nothing's wrong. I just… thought I saw something, but…" He finally turned away from the island, shaking his head. "If I did, whatever it was is gone now, so nothing to worry about, right?"

Fortunately, Donald and Goofy both bought his thinly-veiled smile and Moana and Maui were already distracted. For as Sora took up a spot on the far side of the tiny boat, he couldn't deny he felt _something _striking at his heart, though from where or what, he didn't know. And yet, what he did know was that it was intense, familiar, and _terrible_. A flash of rage and hate and _darkness _so strong that he didn't even notice that the reflection staring back at him from the water, despite being practically identical to him in every way save for the pitch black hair and bright golden eyes, wasn't even his own to begin with.

Likewise, the lone figure now standing on the shore of the left-behind island looked down to the water, to meet his own reflection as well, one that shined far too brightly for his liking. One that accurately presented his currently-hidden face in all but it's warm brown hair and ocean blue eyes. "So, I'm just his mirror now, huh?" he asked aloud, his still-somewhat incorrect reflection mimicking the bitter smirk hidden under his mask. "His shadow? _Their _shadow? Well then, he ought to get himself ready," He let out a twisted laugh as his dark Keyblade flashed into his grip. And with that Keyblade, he violently tore into the ocean, into the reflection of his incidental twin, just as he planned on doing the very moment he finally released his sleeping other half from the depths of his heart. "Because that's all about to _change_…'

* * *

**Ohohoh that foreshadowing for the very next chapter though... Anyway, yeah pretty standard setup stuff, the more fun stuff usually always comes along in the second Disney chapter, huh? Hopefully that's not a trend I'll keep on following with these, but at the same time... its kinda hard not to since most of those second Disney chapters include dramatic encounters and "boss fights" and whatnot. Ah well, I still had fun writing Moana and Maui so that's neat. Either way, if you liked what you saw, then feel free to REVIEW! Until next time! **


	19. Chapter 18: Know Who You Are

_Oof well welcome to the newest longest chapter of Keys yet everyone! Didn't mean for this one to be so massive but there was a LOT of ground I had to cover in it so I just decided to roll with it and have fun and this chapter is quite a lot of fun if you ask me. Hope you enjoy it too! Let's get started!_

* * *

_Chapter 18: Know Who You Are_

_I have crossed the horizon to find you  
I know your name  
They have stolen the heart from inside you  
But this does not define you_  
_ This is not who you are_  
_ You know who you are  
_

If there was anything that Maui made sure to reiterate to the others over and over again, it was that he had no intentions of going anywhere near Te Kā without his trusty magical hook. And it just so happened that the demigod had a strong suspicion as to where it would be. Which was why he deftly took command of the boat, sailing it directly toward his intended destination and ignoring Moana and Sora's continuously shared pleas for sailing lessons all the while. At the same time, he didn't really bother to answer anyone's persistent questions about where they were going either, aside from the terse, obvious explanation that they were going to get his hook.

However, as the next morning broke and the boat's tiny "crew" awakened, they were soon met with the looming sight of their approaching destination, a tall, mountain of an island that reached high into the sky, its rocky exterior jagged and sinister from just about every angle.

"We're here," Maui announced as the boat made a beeline to the unknown island.

"Gawrsh, where is 'here'?" Goofy wondered, slightly nervous.

"Here," the demigod said, pulling the boat up to the island's small shore as he began to tether it down. "Is where we're gonna find my hook. If anyone has it, it's Tamatoa."

"...Tama-who?" Sora asked, confused.

"Tamatoa," Maui said, glaring up at the top of the towering mountain. "The beady-eyed bottom-feeder. He's a scavenger. Collects stuff, thinks it makes him look cool. And for Tamatoa? Trust me, my hook is the _coolest _collectible."

"And he lives… up there?" Moana asked, looking to the mountaintop herself warily. A mountaintop that would likely take an exhausting, treacherous climb just to get up to in the first place.

"No, no, no, that's just the entrance," Maui clarified, a wry grin spreading on his face as he passed by the others. "To, uh… Lalotai."

While the trio exchanged a wondering glance at this, Moana gasped in shock, her eyes growing wide with wonder at the legendary locale. "_Lalotai_?" she asked incredulously. "As in… the realm of _monsters_? W-we're going to the realm of monsters?"

"We? No, me," Maui turned from the climb he had just started making. "You four are gonna stay here with the _other _chicken." His teasing smirk widened as he nodded down to Heihei, still sitting as oblivious and absent-minded as ever on the boat behind them.

"Hey! We're _not _chickens!" Donald squawked angrily.

"So let's prove that we're not," Sora said with a brazen smile as he stepped toward the towering mountain. "C'mon, let's go!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, _wait_," Moana interjected much more hesitantly, dropping her voice down to a whisper so Maui in particular couldn't hear as he continued climbing upward. "Do I need to bring up the whole 'realm of monsters' thing again? I know you guys aren't from this part of the sea, but most people who go to Lalotai… _don't _make it out alive."

"Then we'll be the first," the Keybearer grinned as he confidently began scaling the mountain himself. "It's just a bunch of monsters; they're no match for any of us!"

"That's what you _always _say…" Donald grumbled, though even so, he was the first to trail after Sora with Goofy not too far behind.

At the same time, Moana stood by, completely baffled by just how absolutely undeterred the Keybearer seemed to be by the prospect of such immense danger. But as she considered the impressive power he had displayed, apparently by accident at that, back at the abandoned island to take out the Unversed, she realized that such bravado might not be so out of place after all. Well, for Sora, at least. When it came to herself, Moana knew whatever strength and skill she possessed couldn't really compare to his, or to Maui's for that matter. And yet, as she cast another apprehensive look to Lalotai's lofty entrance, she couldn't help but feel that familiar resolve stirring deep within her. The very same resolve that had pushed her to leaving her island, her home, to voyage out onto the vast unknown of the great ocean in the first place. Which was why she knew that no matter how treacherous the journey might turn or how incredibly out of her depth she might be, she still had to see just how far she could really go all the same.

By now, Maui had already easily heaved himself up the mountain quite a ways, confident that he'd make it to the top in no time. Yet, as he perched himself on a sizable ledge to take a small breather, he was quite surprised to find the boat had been _abandoned _several feet down below. As he squinted down for any signs of his unwanted companions, however, what he failed to notice was that they were steadily climbing alongside him until they all managed to pass him altogether.

"Ugh…" Maui groaned, noting the slight struggle the group was having as they helped each other up the rugged, stony mountainside. Even so, the demigod continued to climb it himself, albeit much easier given his innate supernatural strength, opting to make casual conversation with the others all the while. "So… daughter of the chief..." he began, addressing Moana first, more for the sake of setting her off more than anything else. "I thought you stayed in the village, you know, kissin' babies and things." Moana said nothing to this, instead shooting him an annoyed glare before going right back to climbing. "Hey, I'm just trying to understand why your people decided to send… how do I phrase this? ...You."

"My people _didn't _send me," Moana clarified sharply. "The Ocean did."

"The Ocean?" Maui asked with an incredulous smirk. "Makes sense. You're what, eight? Can't sail? Obvious choice."

Moana couldn't help but falter a bit at this, her former insecurities and doubts slowly starting to creep back in. At least until she happened to receive a timely reminder that there was more to her mission, more to _her, _than what met the eye.

"Hey!" Sora called down from his spot further up the mountain from the others, his expression stern as he looked to the demigod squarely. "The Ocean chose Moana for a reason. And even if none of us know what that reason is yet, I still think it made the _right _choice." He offered a warm smile down to Moana, extending a hand down to help her up onto his higher perch, a hand that she readily, gratefully accepted right alongside his kind encouragement.

"Right," she agreed, letting those doubts drift away as she looked out toward the wide ocean surrounding them on all sides. Deciding to trust both it and herself along the way.

"Geez, no wonder you two get along so well," Maui scoffed rolling his eyes as he pulled himself onto the ledge alongside them. "You're both chock full of that 'wide-eyed, innocent optimism'. It's so hokey I could, and honestly _might _just lose my lunch."

"Tell me about it…" Donald deadpanned from further down below, Goofy chuckling in amusement as he did.

"Speaking of which, what's your story anyway, kid?" Maui asked, looking to Sora this time. "What, are you and your buddies curly's life coaches/bodyguards or something?"

"No, we're her _friends_," Sora corrected. "And even though we are going to help you guys restore that heart, Donald, Goofy, and I are actually here looking for-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know, that 'Key' you three wouldn't shut up about on the way here," Maui huffed, annoyed. "And for the last time, I don't know _anything _about something like that. Unless that Key and my hook are one and the same, in which case, _finders keepers_."

"Um… well, I don't _think _the Key would be a hook…" Sora frowned down at his companions as they caught up. "Would it?"

"Shucks, the last two didn't look much like hooks, did they?" Goofy asked.

"Well… no…"

"Then it's pretty safe to say _this _Key won't be a hook either," Donald remarked, offering the Keybearer a dry, knowing glance as they all finally reached the top.

Lalotai's entrance was just as dry, rocky, and desolate as the rest of the mountain itself, towering flat and barren miles above the ocean's surface. Any gateway to the supposed realm of monsters was either out of sight or nonexistent altogether, a possibility that perplexed a majority of the group as they looked around the seemingly empty peak. "So…" Moana began, looking to Maui expectantly. "Not seeing an entrance…"

"Yes," Maui's tone and expression suddenly grew quite serious as he approached the others ominously. "Because it only appears… after a human sacrifice."

Needless to say this frightening news aptly startled Moana and Sora alike as they exchanged an anxious glance, at least until Maui quickly broke into a bout of playful laughter. "Nah! Kidding! So _serious_." The demigod kept up his smirk as he unleashed a mighty gust of air, blowing away the rising dust covering the stony-faced visage covering up what had to be the true entrance to Lalotai itself.

From there, Maui burst into a brisk, powerful shout, catching the others off guard even more as he began to deftly perform a ceremonial war dance, one that ended with a mighty ground smash that sure enough opened up the way to the realm of monsters. A passageway in the form of a deep pit that led to some unknown deep darkness in the untold depths below.

"Don't worry," Maui assured, noticing the mutual concern on his companions' faces. "It's a _lot _further down than it looks." Upon flashing the others one final smug grin, the demigod fearlessly cannonballed right into the bottomless pit, his enthusiastic cheer echoing even as he disappeared into the mysterious void below him.

"Gawrsh… seems like a long way down…" Goofy frowned fretfully.

"Oh no," Donald glowered, noticing the daring grin spreading across Sora's face. "I _know _that look. I don't care what you're thinking, we are _not _going to-"

"Jump!" the Keybearer shouted, grabbing both the magician and the captain's arms before doing just that. Moana gasped as she watched them disappear into the pit in a mix of excited laughter and fearful screams, though as she did, she steeled herself as she planned to do the exact same thing.

"O-ok, you can do this," she breathed tensely, securing the heart of Te Fiti before ultimately taking the plunge into the unknown herself.

Said plunge ultimately led into a watery vortex, one that sparked with a bizarre sort of energy as the world above shifted to the world far below even the sea itself. Naturally, Maui was the first to arrive in Lalotai itself, its dense, colorful strangeness hardly new to him since he'd ventured here many times before. "Aaaand he sticks the landing! What do ya have to say about _that_, huh?" he asked Mini Maui, who simply offered him a knowing smirk as he crossed his arms and shook his head. "What? Dumb-dumb, they're not even here. No mortal's gonna jump into the realm of-" The demigod stopped short as his tattooed self pointed upward, or rather, toward the group that was falling straight toward him from above. "Huh?"

Maui didn't even have time to react before he ended up breaking each of their falls, Sora, Donald, and Goofy all landing on him first before Moana landed on top of them.

"D-did we make it?" Goof asked, nervously uncovering his eyes.

"I-I think so…?" Moana replied, glancing around their surreal new surroundings fearfully.

"Sora!" Donald snapped, glaring over at the Keybearer. "When are you _finally _going to stop making us jump from ridiculously high places?!"

"When it stops being fun," Sora shrugged with a wry grin. "So basically, never."

"Augh! Would you all get off me already?!" Maui interjected, throwing the group off his back as he sat up. "What are any of you even doing down here? You're all gonna get yourselves killed."

"No, _we're _going to help _you _get your hook back so you can help _us _restore the heart of Te Fiti," Moana reminded, hands on her hips.

"Yeah!" Sora readily agreed, summoning his Keyblade as Donald and Goofy called upon their own weapons in turn. "Just point us in the direction of this Tamatoa guy and we'll take care of him, no problem!"

"Tch, yeah, right, he'll completely destroy-" Maui stopped short upon noticing the glittering cavern they just so happened to be standing right outside of. And as he spotted a familiar item resting within that cavern from afar, a perfect plan came to the demigod's mind. "Actually… that sounds like a _great _idea," he said with a broad smile. "As a matter of fact, his lair is right over there."

"Really?" Moana asked, surprised. "Well, that was easy."

"A bit _too _easy if you ask me…" Donald remarked, eyeing Maui suspiciously.

"Hey, you guys were the ones who volunteered to grab my hook for me," Maui said, urging the group to the edge of the cavern. "So… get grabbin'."

The others all stopped short just before entering the cavern, awestruck by the massive horde of beautiful, golden trinkets and treasures within. And, resting squarely at the top of that sparkling mound was the most acclaimed trophy of them all: Maui's magical fish hook.

"You… weren't kidding…" Moana noted quietly. "This Tamatoa guy _really _likes his treasure, huh?"

"Hmph, just as much as he likes himself, which is _way _too much," Maui rolled his eyes.

"Well, it looks like nobody's home," Sora noted, peering a bit deeper into the cavern. "So, let's just go in and get it."

"Ugh, _no_, you can't just waltz right in there like its nothing," Maui huffed, pulling the Keybearer back before he could do so. "He'll see you and smash you flat in seconds. No, what you need to do is…" The demigod trailed off as a particularly sparkly shell lying on the ground nearby happened to catch his attention, one that just so happened to give him another timely idea entirely. "What you need… is a disguise…"

Said disguise was one Moana in particular wasn't a huge fan of, especially since Maui had decided she was going to be the one to go out in it first. Even so, she begrudgingly clad themselves in all of the scraps of treasure they could find before venturing out into the open in the hopes of intentionally garnishing Tamatoa's attention, wherever he might be.

"Wow! A shiny, glittery cave!" Moana called dryly, beating on the golden drum the demigod had managed to supply her with. "And just like me, it's covered in sparkly treasure… Sparkle, sparkle, sparkle…"

"You're not selling it!" Maui called from the coral he was hiding behind alongside the trio, who, much like Moana, didn't particularly see much of a point to this rather bizarre plan he'd come up with.

"Uh, how is this supposed to work, exactly?" Sora asked dubiously as he looked between Maui and the pile of treasure before them.

"It's not!" Moana snapped back in a frustrated whisper. "This is stupid! I'm just gonna go up and get it!" She motioned to the hook, which was sitting just a few mere feet out of her reach.

"You go up there, he'll kill you," Maui scowled firmly. "Just stick to the plan." Annoyed, Moana did so, banging her drum once more as she sent the demigod a particularly aggravated glare. "Oh! And when he shows up," Maui spoke up once again. "Keep him distracted. Make him talk about himself. He loves bragging about how 'great' he is."

"You two must get along _swell_," Moana huffed, rolling her eyes.

"Eh, not since I ripped off his leg."

Moana stopped short at this, looking back to the demigod incredulously. "Y-you ripped off his-" she paused, noticing that Maui was nowhere to be seen, having tucked away back into hiding, even though the trio still stayed in her sight. Sora offered her an affirming nod that they'd provide any backup she might need even if Maui didn't, something Moana readily welcomed, especially as the ground suddenly began to rumble violently under her feet.

She panicked, tripping over herself as she started slipping away from the treasure horde as it somehow rose up from under her. In fact, she nearly fell entirely until she was miraculously-or rather, haphazardly-caught by one of the shining shells she was wearing from above. Though when Moana finally got a good glimpse of who actually _had _'saved' her, she quickly wished she hadn't.

As it turned out, the immense pile of treasure had been resting squarely on top of an equally sizable shell, one that belonged to the massive, monstrously sparkly crustacean that called this cavern home: Tamatoa. The giant crab rose up with a greedy, booming laugh, still easily gripping Moana in his measurable claws as his beady eyes focused in on the prize in his clutches. "What have we here…?" he wondered with a curious grin. "It's a sparkly, shiny… wait a minute." Without warning, Tamatoa tossed Moana upward, discarding her disguise altogether before catching her once more. "Ugh! It's a _human_! In the realm of monsters?!" he scoffed in disgust as he narrowed his eyes at the terrified girl in his claws. "You're a funny-looking little thing, aren't you?"

Moana gasped as the giant crab honed his other claw in on her necklace, though remembering what was hidden away inside of it, she was quick to slap that claw away as hard as she could. "Don't! That's my grandma's!"

"'That's my grandma's!'" Tamatoa mocked unsympathetically. "I ATE my grandma! And it took a week 'cause she was absolutely humongous."

As the crab continued sullenly interrogating Moana, Maui motioned to the trio to provide him with the backup he'd need as he snuck in to reclaim his hook while Tamatoa was distracted. Both Donald and Goofy nodded, agreeing with the plan, though as they looked behind them, they quickly realized that Sora had no intentions of following through with it as he instead rushed out into the open to go to Moana's aid instead.

"Sora!" the captain and the magician both fearfully called as Maui simply facepalmed in annoyance.

"Ugh! Dumb kid is gonna ruin everything!" the demigod groaned, exasperated. "Is he always this-"

"Reckless? Nah," Goofy shook his head.

"Usually, he's _much _worse," Donald added, perturbed.

At the same time, Sora continued his fast approach, his Keyblade at the ready as he prepared to face the monstrous crab head-on. "Hey!" he shouted up at Tamatoa as he took up a defensive pose before him. "Let her go!"

Startled, Moana turned to look down at the Keybearer with wide, fearful eyes, though Tamatoa did the same only with a much more irritated glare instead. "_Another _human?" he asked in appalled disbelief. "The place is _infested_ with them! I'll need to call a good exterminator just to-wait." The giant crab stopped short, awestruck as he happened to notice the Keyblade Sora was holding. The very _shiny _Keyblade, to be exact. "What… is _that_?" Intrigued, Tamatoa snatched the Kingdom Key, pulling Sora up along with it as he refused to relinquish his grip on it even as he struggled to pull it out of the crab's tight hold. "Ohoho… I see…" Tamatoa grinned widely as he looked the Keyblade over. "You little humans have come all the way down here to bestow the finest treasures your kind has to offer to me! Like this _beautiful _key here!"

"What?" Sora asked, baffled as he continued trying to reclaim his Keyblade. "N-no, that's not-"

"T-that's not all!" Moana interjected, thinking quickly and acting even quicker. "You're right! W-we mortals have heard the tale of the crab who became a _legend_! S-so we thought we'd honor you with gifts! R-right, Sora?"

For a moment, the most the Keybearer could do was look over at her in apt disbelief, shaking his head until he happened to catch onto exactly what she was trying to do here. Especially as he spotted what she already had: Maui, supported by Donald and Goofy, sneaking in from behind in an attempt to snatch the hook straight off of Tamatoa's shell when he wasn't looking. "Um… y-yeah!" he agreed, playing along. "So now that you have our, uh… 'gift', we just _had _to know… how you became so… so… um…"

"C-crabulous?" Moana ventured with a hopeful smile, hoping to save this ploy before it could completely fall through.

"...Are you just trying to get me to talk about myself?" Tamatoa asked, suspicious. The pair exchanged a worried glance at this, hoping that their plan wasn't absolutely ruined, especially as the crab dangerously leaned in toward them both. "Because if you are… I will _gladly _do so! Though maybe…" The crab's grin turned to his pair of struggling captives with an appatized grin. "After a quick _snack _first…"

At this, Tamatoa began pulling both Moana and Sora in, much to their shared alarm given his obvious intention on making them his next meal. However, just before he could, the crab stopped short upon catching another closer look at the Keyblade still tight in his claws. "Oh you've _got _to be kidding me!" he growled angrily down at the startled Keybearer in particular. "What kind of a joke do you take me for to bring me BROKEN treasure?!"

"B-broken?" Sora barely had time to get the distraught word out before Tamatoa suddenly threw both him and the Kingdom Key hard across the cavern. He hit its sturdy wall sharply, hard enough to knock the wind out of him and send the Keyblade tumbling out of his grip as he fell to the ground, limp and injured.

"Sora!" Moana called worriedly, though she did get a small bout of relief as she spotted Donald and Goofy from afar, already rushing to their listless companion's side. As for herself, however, she couldn't spare the same relief, especially as Tamatoa focused back on her.

"Now that the _trash _has been thrown out…" he began with a hungry, leering grin as he hoisted her back up into the air. "Where were we…?"

"Hey, crab cakes! The only one who's about to be 'trashed' around here is YOU!" Tamatoa froze, turning his eyes completely around to find none other than Maui, standing tall and proud atop his shell. The demigod flashed a brazen grin as he finally reclaimed his hood, more than happy to feel it's familiar weight in his hands once again. "I'm back," he said, kissing his weapon gingerly before raising it high into the air. "It's Maui time!"

The demigod relished in the look of absolute shook that overtook Tamatoa's face as he finally abruptly dropped Moana altogether. With a bright, brazen grin, Maui heaved his hook, spinning it swiftly around before using its magic to shapeshift himself into the form of a mighty hawk so he could take his old foe head on. However, instead of a hawk, in reality, Maui actually ended up taking on the form of a tiny fish instead. Confused, he tried again, switching between several shapes and sizes, none of which were what he actually wanted, before finally landing back on his usual form, absolutely confounded by his inability to control a power he thought he'd mastered long ago.

Maui wasn't the only one to take notice of this failure however, as Tamatoa's surprise quickly shifted into a smug, goading grin. "Ohoho! Looks like little Maui's having trouble with his look!" the crab teased mirthfully, spinning around to throw the disoriented demigod off balance. "It's been what, a thousand years? Tch, what a shame. You just don't _swing _it like you used to back then!"

With another sadistic chuckle, Tamatoa gladly took the opportunity to toy with his foe, grabbing Maui by the hook as he aggressively, violently swung him around. At the same time, the most Moana could do was watch in apt alarm as the crab tossed the demigod to the far side of the cavern, much like he'd done with Sora moments ago.

Speaking of the Keybearer, by now he'd managed to pull himself into a sitting position, beaten and bruised by the harsh impact against the cave wall, though that was hardly his greatest concern at the moment. No, instead all Sora could focus on was his Keyblade lying on the ground before him, noticeable cracks still splintered across its silver surface. Ominous, undeniable proof that it was just as Tamatoa had said: _broken_.

Which was exactly why Sora made his weapon disappear as soon as Donald and Goofy arrived at his side, the latter helping him up while the former quickly healed his injuries. And just in time too, for as Tamatoa continued throwing the helpless demigod in his grip around, Moana managed to get the trio's attention, making it quite clear she had a plan in mind to put a stop to this disaster once and for all.

At the same time, Maui landed hard against the cavern floor yet again, his hook falling out of his reach to the point that he couldn't even try to use it to fight back. "You crawled all the way down here with a bunch of _human _decoys to try and steal _this _from me?" Tamatoa laughed, ripping the hook away from the demigod once more as he tossed him aside. "I knew you were a trickster, but _this _is too much! Hilarious! And _pathetic_. What, are you back to doing more favors for them because they make you feel _wanted, loved _for a change? Ha!" The crab brutally beat Maui down once again, slamming him against the cavern wall as the cave turned dark, allowing a brilliant bioluminescent glow to overtake both Tamatoa and his surroundings. "Face it, man, your 'armor's' just not hard enough. And it's nowhere near as _shiny _as mine!" Tamatoa tossed Maui high into the air once more, opening wide in an attempt at devouring his longtime foe once and for all. However, the demigod stopped himself squarely in the monster's maw just in time to give him exactly the sort of distraction he needed to avoid his demise.

"Hey!" Moana shouted up at the crab, flanked by the trio to support her if need be. "We've got something shiny for ya!"

Upon so much as catching a glimpse at the glistening green stone in her hand, Tamatoa instantly spit Maui aside, realizing that a much better prize was now on the line instead. "The heart of Te Fiti... Give me that this instant! You can't run from me!" Naturally, as soon as the crab said this, the group took off, acting on their plan as they split up throughout the cavern. "Oh! You can. You keep surprising me!"

Tamatoa took off after them, pursuing Moana in particular since she had the heart in her possession. At the same time, Sora, Donald, and Goofy discreetly circled around behind the crab, poising their weapons for a surprise attack as Moana intentionally released her hold on the heart, allowing it to fall into a nearby crevice as Tamatoa continued to chase after it.

With the crab distracted, she hurried onto his shell, heaving the reclaimed hook off of it before nodding back to the trio on the ground as soon as she'd retrieved it. As soon as Moana was in the clear away from Tamatoa, Sora and Donald discreetly began tag-teaming to magically freeze the crab's back legs in place, with Goofy offering them a line of defense just in case the crustacean noticed. At the same time, Moana hurried over to Maui, shoving the hook back into his grip as she helped him back up.

"We gotta go," she whispered to him sharply, sparing a brief anxious glance back at Tamatoa as he continued digging for his sought-after treasure.

"W-what about the heart?" Maui asked, winded, injured, and confused.

"He can have it," Moana smirked, opening her necklace to reveal the _true _heart of Te Fiti still inside it. "I've got a better one. C'mon, you guys!" she called to the trio, who finished their work just in time to hurry after the pair while Tamatoa finally retrieved the 'heart' he was after.

"Yes! I have the-wait a minute!" the crab stopped short, squinting at the stone pinched between his claws to get a better look at exactly what he'd found. "Ugh, I see. They took a barnacle and they covered it in bioluminescent algae as a diversion!" Infuriated by the deception, Tamatoa attempted to turn and chase after the group. That is, until he suddenly tripped over his own two somehow frozen back legs, inevitably ending up tipping over onto his sparkling shell just in time to see the group get away by using one of Lalotai's many powerful geysers to return to the world above. "Hey!" Tamatoa called angrily after them, unable to right himself to follow suit as he sullenly accepted his embarrassing defeat. "...Would it have been better if I had sung?"

* * *

Despite their triumph at Lalotai, there was hardly any celebration as the group set sail from the realm of monsters to continue on their voyage. Though most of the others were still in relatively high, hopeful spirits, Maui had been laid quite low, and not just by Tamatoa either. Despite trying for several hours, even as night began to fall over the sea, the demigod still couldn't seem to get a hang on the shapeshifting powers his hook bestowed him with, to the point that he eventually gave up altogether. Depression overtook him as he essentially sprawled flat on the boat, singing an empty, dejected reprise of his formerly upbeat tune.

"_What can I say except we're dead soon, we're dead soon…" _he sighed, his hook resting near his head, completely unusable at least as far as he was concerned.

"Uh… Maui?" Sora ventured, mutually concerned alongside the others for the demigod's emotional wellbeing.

"_Hey, it's ok, it's ok, we're dead soon…"_

"...Ok, we're getting nowhere like this," Moana remarked dryly, marching over to Maui with an oar in hand. "All right, break time's over. Get up."

"Why?" Maui scowled, sitting up somewhat. "You gonna give me a speech or something? Tell me I can beat Te Kā 'cause 'I'm Maui'?"

"You can," Sora assured, coming to stand alongside Moana. "We _all _can if we-"

"What, 'work together'?" Maui scoffed tiredly. "Tch, gimme a break, kid. Like I said, that whole endless optimism kick really _isn't_ my thing. Which is why I can pretty much guarantee this mission's cursed. Might as well face it now so it won't catch you by surprise later on; we go against Te Kā, and we all go down."

As the demigod flopped back down, the others all exchanged a worried glance, briefly fearing that Maui might actually have a point. True, none of them really knew what to expect out of the fearsome lava monster, but if even Maui himself severely doubted their chances against her, then did they really stand much of a chance in surviving, much less winning against her at all?

"Golly, what do we do now…?" Goofy wondered fretfully.

"Give up, go off and _finally _look for that Key like we're _supposed _to be doing?" Donald suggested, though Sora was quick to shoot the insensitive idea down as he shook his head in disapproval of it.

At the same time, Moana paused, deciding to take a different, softer approach entirely as she took another curious look at the tapestry of tattoos branded across the demigod's skin. "How do you get your tattoos?" she asked, going off on a seemingly unrelated tangent entirely.

"The show up," Maui answered tersely, sitting up and turning away. "When I earn them."

"How'd you earn that one?" Moana asked, pointing out a rather large tattoo near the top of his back. One that seemed to depict a woman tossing what almost looked like a child into the sea. "What's that for?"

Maui's expression darkened at this, knowing exactly what tattoo she was referring to. "That's man's discovery of Nunya."

"Nunya?"

"Nunya business."

Moana pouted briefly, but even so, she persisted, tapping the demigod with her oar in the hopes of getting some answers. "I'll just keep asking until you tell me. What's it for? What is it?"

"Back off!" Maui snapped, suddenly standing as he grabbed Moana's oar and offered her a severe glare.

"Just tell me what it is!" she protested firmly.

"I said _back off_!"

"Is it why your hook's not working?" she barely had time to ask before Maui tossed her overboard once again. The trio rushed over to help her as Maui sullenly passed them, though the Ocean beat them to it as it brought her back onto the boat just as it always did. Even so, the group exchanged a defeated glance, realizing that they were still getting nowhere with the demigod, especially not in the mood he was currently in. "...You don't wanna talk? Don't talk," Moana finally sighed sadly. "You wanna throw me off the boat? Throw me off. You wanna tell me I don't know what I'm doing? I _know _I don't. I have no idea why the ocean chose me. But… my island is dying… so I am here, with _you_. And I want to help you, we all do, but we can't if you don't let us…"

Despite her sincerity, Moana ultimately let out a morose sigh as Maui remained silent, even if she did accept the small smile of solidarity Sora sent her as she began to turn away. However, as she did, Maui suddenly spoke up to at long last unravel his unknown tale.

"I wasn't born a demigod," he began quietly, sadly as he stared off toward the sea. "I had human parents. They took one look and decided… they did not want me. They threw me into the sea… like I was _nothing… _Somehow, I was found by the gods. They gave me my hook, made me 'Maui, demigod of the wind and sea'. And back to the humans I went; I gave them islands, fire, coconuts, anything they could ever want."

"...You took the heart for them…" Moana whispered in soft, sympathetic realization. "You did _everything _for them… So they'd love you..."

"It was… never enough," Maui shook his head in solemn defeat. "Not even the power to create life itself… I stole the heart for them and look what happened: a thousand years trapped on a deserted island and nobody ever even cared or came looking for me…"

"We did," Sora earnestly pointed out, catching the demigod admittedly off guard.

"That's right. And maybe… the gods found you for a reason," Moana added, echoing her own belief. That much like Maui, she'd been chosen for a purpose she didn't quite understand yet, but was destined to uphold. "Maybe the Ocean brought you to them because it saw someone who was _worthy _of being saved. But the gods aren't the ones who make you Maui… _you _are."

The others all offered Maui one final, warm, encouraging smile at this, allowing the demigod a moment to think it all over. And as he did, he couldn't help but realize just how _right _they were. The gods had given him his start, true, but all of the courageous deeds and daring feats he'd ever done were his own to claim. And those deeds, his own strength, they were all things to be proud of. The very things that made him a hero, that made him _Maui _in the first place.

Which was why, as he reclaimed his hook once more and turned to his companions, or rather, his _friends_, he decided it was finally time to start living up to that legendary name once more.

* * *

As the next leg of the voyage began, one thing was immediately clear; to take on Te Kā, Maui would have to reteach himself everything he once knew when it came to his magical hook. Though none of the others were very well-versed in such foreign magic, they all agreed that it was best for him to start small, which was exactly what the demigod did, transforming into easier, tinier forms first before gradually working his way up to bigger, more complicated ones. From a beetle, to an iguana, to a shark, to a hawk, to even a whale, over the span of a day, Maui regained not just his mastery over his hook, but his usual verve, joining the others in their bold determination to face the danger ahead to restore the heart of Te Fiti to where it rightfully belonged.

However, Maui wasn't the only one mastering new skills along the way. As the boat's sails turned to the distant island of Te Fiti, the demigod finally allowed new sets of hands to take up control of them. As thanks for helping him with his hook troubles, Maui finally agreed to both Moana and Sora's persistent requests for sailing tips, showing both of them the ropes and even passing along a few pointers to a curious Donald and Goofy along the way. From steering along with the wind to following currents to navigating using stars, the demigod supplied them with every skill they'd need to know when it came to wayfinding, skills the pair was more than happy to learn as they set sail toward Te Fiti. All the while, the trio kept a keen eye out for any leads they could find on the Key they were still searching for, finding little but still enjoying the journey all the same, something that could be said for all of them as they crossed the great ocean, drawing ever nearer to their destination every step of the way.

Said destination seemed closer than ever before as they passed into a stretch of foggy waters late one night. As the others kept the boat steadily on its path, Maui held onto his usual perch near the top of its sail, keeping a solid lookout until he turned his attention down to Moana instead. She noticed the almost proud grin he was sending her way and returned it, even if she was somewhat confused by it. "What?" she spoke up, handing the sail's rope back over to Sora as he easily pulled it taunt this time.

"Are you impressed by our _amazing _sailing skills?" the Keybearer asked with a bright grin.

"Pfft, don't get too cocky, kid," Maui retorted just as easily. "The only reason you're any good is 'cause you had a great teacher."

"Oh, good point," Sora agreed, playfully nodding. "Remind me to thank that teacher for all the help next time we see him, ok?"

Maui took this joke in stride, smirking at it as Moana, Donald, and Goofy all let out a small bout of laughter. At least until Moana couldn't contain her earlier curiosity any longer. "So what are you so happy about anyway?" she asked the demigod.

"I've finally figured it out," Maui said, jumping back down onto the boat. "You know, the Ocean used to _love _when I pulled up islands 'cause your ancestors would sail her seas and find 'em. All those new lands, new villages... it was the _water _that connected them all. And if I were the Ocean… I think I'd be looking for a curly-haired chief's daughter to start that again…"

Moana readily perked up at this, warmed by the demigod's rare show of true, encouraging sincerity, even if such sentiments had been a bit easier to come by from him over their past several days of sailing together. "That is literally the nicest thing you've ever said to me. Probably should have saved it for Te Fiti."

Maui's smile widened at this as he looked toward the sea ahead. "I did." The others all looked, amazed as the fog cleared to reveal the shape of a large island laying on the horizon before them. The island they had been looking for all along. "Moana of Motunui-_and _friends-" Maui boldly proclaimed. "I believe you have _officially _delivered Maui across the great sea."

"Wha-we're here?!" Donald asked in disbelief.

"Already?" Goofy asked, equally baffled.

"Yeah!" Sora cheered excitedly. "Let's do this!"

"Ah ah ah," Maui interjected. "Let _me _do this." At this, the demigod turned, holding a hand out to Moana, who was quick to understand his intent. Dutifully, she took the heart of Te Fiti and carefully placed it into Maui's awaiting hand, entrusting him with this great mission, one that carried all of the hopes of her people, the fate of the very ocean itself on its success.

However, that success soon rose into question as a bright burst of flame began to build up surrounding the barrier islands blocking Te Fiti away. Islands that they'd have to cross to get to it, despite the danger rising to meet them.

"Te Kā…" Maui muttered, steeling himself for the battle ahead.

"You go put that heart back," Sora assured, summoning his Keyblade. "We'll back you up."

"Yeah," Moana readily agreed. "Go save the world, _hero_."

Grateful for their help, Maui nodded, leaping high into the air with the heart in tow as he swung his hook, taking on the shape of a powerful hawk before taking flight toward Te Fiti. At the same time, the others kept on sailing along behind him, even as dark clouds of billowing smoke and flame began to take shape the closer he got. Until at last, Te Kā herself emerged, ready to claim the heart as her own.

Te Kā certainly lived up to her fearsome reputation, massive in every way as she towered high above the barrier islands. Her skin was made of molten rock and flowing lava, her hollow, empty eyes and mouth glowing with unquenchable, burning flames. She let out a booming roar as she lashed out, her large hand hitting Maui squarely and knocking him out of the sky. Panicking, Moana and Sora worked together to pull the boat into action in the hopes of saving the demigod, though he managed to do so himself, reclaiming both the heart and the hook before taking off through the skies yet again.

As Maui began on his next approach, however, an all new threat soon became apparent. For as Te Kā raged against the demigod, chaos emerged from the depths of the surrounding sea and sky as a deluge of dark, all too familiar creatures began to appear.

"Unversed!" Sora, Donald, and Goofy alike all let out the initial warning cry as the shadowy creatures swarmed, surrounding both their boat and Maui as he tried soaring around Te Kā yet again. This was by far the biggest group of Unversed to attack them yet, coming from just about every angle and in every form. They quickly overtook the boat as the trio rushed to confront them, leaving Moana to try her best to steer the boat against the frantic fray. At the same time, as Te Kā struck Maui back into the ocean once more, he was soon met with a frenzied school of aquatic Unversed, ones that rushed straight for the heart as soon as it slipped out of his hand on accident. Even so, Maui was quick to reclaim it, rushing to surface once more as he slammed his hook against the creatures, taking several out so he could focus on the bigger obstacle once again.

As he did, Te Kā geared up for yet another fiery blast to take him out, only to slip against the islands she had propped herself against in the process. The monster let out a sharp cry of pain as her flaming hand hit the water instead, something that both Sora and Moana took notice of, albeit for entirely different reasons.

As Te Kā recoiled, unleashing another agonized roar as she looked around for any sign of the heart, Sora stopped short, the ongoing brawl with the Unversed more or less forgotten as he stared straight at the monster instead. He hadn't noticed it before, but it was undeniable now: the secondhand feeling of intense, burning fury, of rage and hate and grief and loss and sheer and utter _desperation _for something unknown. It was like he was experiencing all this through a veil, removed from it, but still impacted by it all the same, especially when he realized exactly where those feelings were all coming from: none other than Te Kā herself.

Moana, on the other hand saw an opportunity as Te Kā picked herself back up again, a quick idea forming in her mind just as Maui happened to land on the boat after another series of brutal blows from the monster and the Unversed alike. It was enough to shake Sora back into the moment, especially as he realized Donald and Goofy clearly needed his help in warding off the still heavily-attacking Unversed surrounding the boat.

At the same time, Moana solidified her idea as she rushed to Maui's side, spotting an opening in the barrier islands up ahead as she did. Exactly the in they'd need to make the final approach past Te Kā and toward Te Fiti itself.

"W-what are you doing?" Maui asked, startled as Moana pushed the boat forward at a rapid pace.

"Finding you a better way in!"

Incredulous, Maui looked between that opening and Te Kā, who was far too close to it for comfort. "We won't make it!"

"Yes, we will!" Moana assured, refusing to back down when they were _so _close to victory.

"Turn around!"

"No!"

"Moana, _stop_!"

"We _can't_!"

"Look out!" Goofy's warning shout caught the pair's attention, particularly alerting them to Te Kā towering high above them as they honed in on the barrier islands.

Time seemed to slow and speed up all at once as everyone reacted differently to the devastating blow the monster was preparing to unleash upon them. Donald and Goofy bravely poised their weapons to defend against it the best they could, even though they knew they'd be realistically be able to do very little against it. Moana steeled her resolve, still pushing the boat as fast as it would go in the slim chance they'd actually make it past the islands as she hoped. Sora gripped his Keyblade tightly, feeling a sharp burst of energy rush through him as both darkness and light began to coalesce around his free hand once more. But Maui was ultimately the only one of them to meet Te Kā's attack directly, swiftly bringing his hook up at the very last moment as the monster's first came down in a heavy burst of deadly flame.

What happened next, no one really knew. An explosion of incredible power, of fire and magic, mingled with hints of darkness and light rippled across the surrounding ocean. And on that explosion, everything and everyone even remotely within its wide radius was tossed and torn away from each other, thrown into the unknown depths of the raging sea once more.

* * *

The sky was just as dark and overcast as it had been over Te Fiti, rumbling with distant thunder that almost seemed to harmonize with the gentle waves quietly lapping onto the island's shore. Donald and Goofy watched those waves wearily as they sat on the shore alongside Sora, waiting for him to awaken from the bout of unconsciousness they'd all fallen into thanks to that momentous final blow between Maui and Te Kā. When he finally did awaken, he did so with a start, still largely caught up in the adrenaline of the climactic encounter, at least until he caught sight of the much calmer sea surrounding the small, lush island they had somehow landed on.

"You ok, Sora?" Goofy asked with a concerned frown.

"Yeah…" Sora said, shaking his head to properly clear it. "Where are we? What happened to Moana and Maui?" he asked, immediately noticing that the pair, and the boat for that matter, were nowhere in sight.

"We don't know," Donald replied fretfully. "After that huge blast, we ended up here, but there's no telling where they could be! If they even made it after all that…"

"I'm sure they did," Sora said, standing with resolve. "They're not about to go down that easily, and neither are we. Now c'mon, let's find a way off this island so we can catch up with them."

"But how are we gonna do that?" Goofy asked, confused. "The boat's gone too…"

"Then we'll build our own!" the Keybearer exclaimed with a determined grin.

"Do you even know _how _to build a boat?" Donald asked dryly.

"As a matter of fact, I _do_," Sora crossed his arms and sent the magician a knowing grin. "Me, Riku, and Kairi built one before. But… we didn't really get a chance to use it, much less try it out…"

"Just as long as the boat _we _build doesn't sink, then I'll consider that a win," Donald concluded, turning his beak up stubbornly.

"Well, look on the bright side, fellas: at least there's plenty here we can use to put it together with!" Goofy noted, turning to the patch of jungle claiming the second half of the tiny island behind them.

"Right, so let's split up and get looking!" Sora grinned, ready to do just that.

"And let's hurry!" Donald huffed impatiently. "We still need to find that Key too, remember?"

"Like you could let us forget," the Keybearer smirked over his shoulder as he headed off on his own, leaving his companions to do the same.

Despite its rather small size, the jungle was surprisingly dense, its thick canopy blocking out most of what little light the already dull sky provided. Initially, Sora didn't pay that low light much mind as he forged a path through the forest, looking for anything that could prove useful in building a makeshift boat. Unfortunately, any actually downed trees were in a disappointingly short supply, and though he was tempted to use his Keyblade in the hopes of knocking a few down, he wasn't too keen on the possibility of damaging his weapon any more than it already was.

Even so, as he thought of that weapon, Sora couldn't help but pause, letting out an uneasy sigh as he summoned it, hoping, just as he always did whenever he called upon it, that those damaging cracks would somehow magically disappear entirely. And yet, sure enough, there they were, still tarnishing its once-pure surface, hinting that something much deeper and more alarming might be wrong with it, wrong with _him_.

Yet as he stared at it, he couldn't notice that familiar surge of darkness and light, mixing and mingling together around his hand, just as it had done twice before now. "What is this anyway…?" he muttered, allowing his Keyblade to disappear as he tried to make sense of this strange new magic. The skin on his hand was still shadowy, worryingly so as it seemed to have spread somewhat. And yet, the hints of warm light peeking through the darkened energy weaving gently between his fingers only served to make him curious about exactly what this newfound power really was, and even more than that, how it could be used to his advantage.

So, after taking a cursory look to make sure neither of his companions were watching, Sora unceremoniously decided to test it out, just to see what it could do. Carefully, he slowly swept his hand out toward the ground before him, letting that magic flow out of him. Immediately, he noticed that it felt quite different than any of the other spells he usually used in tandem with his Keyblade; cold and warm all at once as it channeled itself through only his hand instead of through his weapon. And as it hit the ground, it left behind a heavy, scorching mark, one that hung with dark, heavy ash and glistened with a quickly dying sort of light at the exact same time. Darkness and light, existing perfectly together and contradicting each other all the while.

Intrigued by this contradiction, Sora tried something else, swinging his hand out higher and wider this time, letting his magic fly with a much heavier amount of force behind it this time. The effect was immediate as a strong wave of darkened light struck a nearby line of smaller, shorter trees squarely, tearing through them and slicing through their sturdy trunks to the point that they all instantly toppled over on top of each other. Such a powerful blast both startled and fascinated the Keybearer, though he admittedly began leaning more toward the latter reaction as he realized just how useful this new skill could be to getting the trio out of their current predicament.

After glancing around the surrounding area one last time for any signs of Donald or Goofy, Sora got to work, throwing both of his hands out widely and watching with wonder as his magic effortlessly cut through another swath of trees. That feeling of contrasting warmth and cold rushed through him once more but this time he welcomed it, relished it as he pressed onward, amazed by just how much this power could really do, just how much _he _could do. Ever since the aftermath of his failed Mark of Mastery exam, one thing that Sora hadn't been able to deny no matter how hard he tried was that he _had _been feeling weaker, that his strength had been diminished to an embarrassing, almost disgraceful degree. And yet, here and now he couldn't help but believe that, with the emergence of a strange, yet incredible ability such as this, that strength was _finally _starting to return. And not just return, but far exceed any strength he might have had before.

However, as caught up in the excitement as he was, Sora didn't even notice that he wasn't as alone as he hoped he was. For sitting atop a sturdy branch of a taller tree a good distance away was a figure obscured by the natural surrounding shadows, casually reclining against his perch as he silently watched Sora willingly partake in such thoughtless destruction. For the briefest of moments, he was somewhat interested by the unique kind of power he was bearing witness too, until he quickly reminded himself of his ultimate mission. His near-twin was really just a means to an end after all, an end that he was more than ready to finally obtain, especially since the Keybearer was noticeably, and at least for him, quite fortunately _alone_.

And yet, just before he could make his move, he recoiled, a sharp burst of blinding agony suddenly spiking through his chest. He let out a hushed hiss of pain, glaring hatefully down at Sora as he noticed the flash of glowing yellow spring into his twin's eyes, tendrils of darkness wreathing his arms as he gladly unleashed another burst of his potent power. A brief glance down to his own covered hands revealed they were enveloped in the exact opposite: light, crisp, harsh light that burned his brittle, darkened heart in every way imaginable. Light that he hadn't even felt the faintest glimmer of in quite some time, not since…

He shook his head, a hand still pressed to his chest in an attempt to ease the pain as he turned his sights back toward the Keybearer down below. Sora, however, finally stopped as he emerged onto the far shore of the island, his hands falling to his sides and his magic practice all but forgotten as he spotted, or rather _sensed _something resting in the sand just a few feet ahead. It's radiant green glow practically beckoned him forward, pure power brimming from it, just as it always did. As captivated by that power as he was, he slowly, carefully retrieved the small stone from the sand, knowing that it wasn't where it was supposed to be. And somehow, it knew that fact as it almost seemed to whisper the same sentiment, though it seemed oddly meant for him as it echoed through the depths of his heart:

_You're not where you belong… _

"Sora!" The Keybearer's mesmerized focus was quickly broken the moment he heard his companion's shared call for him. Sure enough, Donald and Goofy hurried down the short shoreline to meet him, hauling various pieces of scrap to use for their ship along with them. However, they instantly stopped in alarm the moment they saw the trail of heavy destruction leading through the jungle up to exactly where Sora was standing.

"Gawrsh, what happened over here?" Goofy asked as both him and Donald looked between the downed and damaged trees and the Keybearer in apt concern.

"Um… i-it… it was…" Sora hesitated, hiding his hands behind his back as he tried to think up some sort of excuse. His first thought was to actually tell the pair the truth, if only for the sake of preventing himself from harboring yet _another _dangerous secret from them on top of the already lengthy list of secrets he'd been accumulating as of late. And yet, despite his better judgement, the truth was ultimately something he quickly decided against, especially when he remembered just how _strong _his newfound powers made him feel. Powers that he wanted, that he _needed _at a time like this, that he couldn't just let be taken away so easily, not even by his well-meaning companions who could very well come to fear that power simply by seeing the aftermath of what it wrought. Which was why, through his own fear that they'd forbid him to use it, he decided, just this once, to let _one _more measly lie slip through the cracks. "U-Unversed!" he exclaimed, throwing out the best thing he could think of on such a short notice. "A whole bunch of them, t-they just came out of nowhere and started going crazy, s-so… I took care of them."

Sora paused tentatively, hoping that this was somehow convincing enough for the pair to actually believe. And yet, with no given reason to not buy this ruse, Donald and Goofy fortunately did, much to the Keybearer's immense relief.

"Well, they sure did leave a mess behind, didn't they?" the magician remarked before turning back to Sora with a curious glance. "What are you hiding behind your back…?"

Sora flinched at this, briefly checking over his shoulder to make sure the darkened light surrounding his hands had died down completely before he revealed the shining stone he'd been holding onto. Albeit in a way that didn't reveal the shadows still spread across his palm regardless. "It's… the heart of Te Fiti," he said, holding it up for both of them to see.

"Wha-! B-but how'd it end up here?!" Donald asked, baffled.

"I thought Maui had it last," Goofy added, scratching his head in confusion.

"I _did_." The trio was equally caught off guard by this call, one that clearly came from the demigod himself, albeit from a distance. And indeed, Maui was steadily flying toward the group from the sea in the form of a hawk, though as he landed on the shore, his expression twisted in agony as he returned to his usual appearance. That pain lingered as he leaned against his hook for support, said hook bearing the brunt of the scar from the blast he'd blocked from Te Kā, burnt and heavily cracked as it sparked with unstable energy.

"Maui!" the trio exclaimed in alarm, rushing over to help him. And yet, as soon as Sora spotted the damage the demigod's hook had taken, he stopped short, eyes wide as he realized just how familiar that damage really rung.

"Y-your hook…" he muttered softly, though Maui still clearly heard him all the same.

"I know... " the demigod scowled, standing upright on his own as he glared down at the nearly-broken weapon. "I _told _Moana to turn back, and she _didn't_. So… here we are."

"And… where's Moana?" Sora asked, worried.

"Don't know, don't care," Maui shook his head, stewing over his quiet rage. "All I know is, we're done here."

"Done?" Goofy asked with a fretful frown.

"B-but what about the heart," Sora ventured, holding said heart out to the demigod. "And Te Kā and Te Fiti, and-"

"And _nothing_," Maui interrupted bitterly. "I already told Moana: I'm not going back. There is _no _way to fix my hook. It was made by the gods. One more hit and it's over."

"S-so that's it then?" the Keybearer asked, a certain edge of challenge in his tone. "You're just giving up?"

Maui said nothing at first as he walked past the trio sullenly. But when he did speak, his voice was low, dejected, _defeated_. "Without my hook, I am nothing."

"That's not true-"

"Without my hook, I am _nothing_!" Maui snapped, swiftly turning around to silence Sora's protest altogether. Donald and Goofy looked at each other, startled and concerned at this, especially as they realized that there would be little chance at changing the demigod's mind especially when he already believed they were doomed to fail all over again. And yet, Sora wasn't about to back down so easily. Not when the fate of an entire world was at stake.

Which was why he looked to Maui squarely, his expression hard and resolved as he held his hand up silently. He hesitated, for just the briefest of seconds as he considered the fact that Donald and Goofy were both standing right behind him, knowing what both of them would finally see if he did this. And yet, at that moment he didn't care, he _couldn't _care, not when he considered the radiant heart his free hand was still holding onto. A heart that was practically _pleading _to be returned to where it truly belonged. Which was why he allowed the Kingdom Key to flash into his grip, cracks and all, for everyone to clearly see.

"Look at this," Sora began sternly, the mere sight of his Keyblade catching Maui off guard. "My Keyblade is cracked; it's _damaged_, just like your hook is. I don't know why or how it happened, but it _is_."

"W-what…?" Donald balked with a shocked whisper as he took in the alarming sight, Goofy doing the exact same.

"Sora…" the captain began worriedly, though the Keybearer largely ignored both of his companions as he continued.

"And even despite that, I know I _have _to keep on fighting," he said, taking in a steadying breath as he continued to hold onto the Kingdom Key, however marred it might be. "For all I know, my Keyblade could break at any minute, but even if it did, I _still _wouldn't stop fighting because my friends-everyone I care about-they're all counting on me. Just like how Moana, how the rest of the world, is counting on _you_. So," he closed his eyes, allowing his Keyblade to finally disappear even though its weight still seemed to hang heavy in his heart. "What are you going to do?"

For what seemed like ages, Maui said nothing to this, instead staring silently down at his damaged hook, his expression largely unreadable all the while. For almost his entire existence, he'd relied on his hook to grant him not just his shapeshifting powers, but his famous strength, his very identity, all tied to the gift he'd been bestowed by the gods. And yet… without it, he'd managed to survive, though perhaps not thrive, for 1,000 years. And just because he hadn't had it through those years didn't mean that he'd ever _stopped _being Maui. Because perhaps it was just as Moana had told him before: _"The gods aren't the ones who make you Maui… _you _are."_

And as the demigod remembered this, he knew that Sora was right as well: hook or no hook, Moana was counting on him. To restore the heart and save the world, perhaps the most important, and most dangerous feat he'd ever set out to do amidst his countless daring deeds of the past. Which was why, if his hook really was at stake, Maui saw no better way for it to go out on than on his most important mission alongside his most important friends.

"I guess I'll keep on fighting," Maui finally replied, offering the Keybearer a warm, thankful smile.

Likewise, Sora returned that smile as Donald and Goofy let out a shared sigh of relief behind him. "Spoken like a true 'hero to all'."

"Well, gee, fellas, it's great that we're all rarin' and ready to go, but there's still one problem?" Goofy asked with a frown. "How are we even gonna find Moana in the first place?"

"Or get off this island!?" Donald added, noting the much more immediate issue.

"We're gonna build a boat, remember?" Sora pointed out, motioning to the cluster of downed trees that they could use to do so.

"Build a boat?" Maui scoffed. "What, do you wanna waste an entire week out here? Nah, as usual, I've got a _better _idea." At this, the demigod marched over to the water, calling out toward it as loudly as he could. "Yo! Ocean! Hook us up with a boat, will ya!?" Though he waited for a moment or two, Maui was quick to grow impatient when the Ocean showed no signs of answering whatsoever. "Aw, c'mon, cut me some slack for a change. We're trying to _help _your 'chosen one' here, you know."

"Let me try," Sora ventured, coming to stand alongside the demigod as he addressed the Ocean much more patiently. "Um, hey, Ocean? Do you mind maybe finding a boat for us to use please? We really need to find Moana so we can-" Before the Keybearer could even finish, the Ocean readily complied, rippling in wide, broad waves as it dredged up a formerly-downed raft from the depths before gently depositing it onto the shore, completely ready to be used once again.

"Wha-how did you do that?" Maui asked, looking to Sora incredulously.

"I guess it's all just a matter of how you ask," the Keybearer shrugged with a small laugh. The demigod smirked briefly at this remark before heading over to the raft to prepare it for the voyage ahead, though before Sora could join him, he happened to catch a glimpse at the mutually baffled look Donald and Goofy were both sending his way.

"Oh no…" he took in a deep breath, already anticipating what they'd have to say in light of what he'd just incidentally shown them.

"Sora... " Goofy began with a genuinely fretful frown. "Y-your Keyblade… what happened to it?"

"And why'd you try to hide it from us when you _knew _about it the whole time!?" Donald snapped much more angrily. "The scar was bad enough, but _this_?! Why do you keep lying to us!?"

"Look, we can talk about this later, ok?" Sora said with a disgruntled sigh, preferring to not talk about it at all, though he knew his companions wouldn't let it go that easily. "We need to-"

"We need to talk about this _now_!" Donald demanded firmly.

"_Later_," Sora protested once more, just as sternly as he began to turn away. "We _will _talk about it later, I promise."

"You keep on promising things like that to us and then you never follow through!" the magician accused harshly.

"Do you _really _mean it this time, Sora?" Goofy asked, always the gentler of the two, though his rare melancholy expression and tone alone were enough to convey that he was every bit as upset as Donald was.

And really, the way both of his companions were looking at him at that moment, with clear distrust and doubt, things they'd never truly bared toward him or ever had reason to before, was almost enough to make Sora cave completely. _Almost_.

"Hey, are you guys coming?" Maui called from the raft, having pushed it out into the shallows so it would be ready to go.

"Yeah!" Sora answered before briefly turning back to Donald and Goofy. Their shared suspicion toward him slowly suffocating him as he threw on yet another spurious smile all the same. "Like I said, we can talk about this later. And this time… I _do _mean it. I-"

"_Don't_ say promise," Donald said coldly as him and Goofy passed the Keybearer by. "Especially if you _don't _really mean it."

Sora started at this, prepared to stand by his claim that he _did _mean it this time. That he _was _finally going to tell them the truth in whatever way he really could. And yet… in the end he didn't say anything, knowing that if he did, it would ultimately be just another lie to add on to the list.

* * *

"_And the call isn't out there at all,_

_It's inside me!_

_It's like the tide, always falling and rising!"_

Moana's heart soared above the grief that had hung over it mere moments ago, her song ringing clear and proud across the ocean as she watched the spirits of her ancestors sail past her. The voyagers of her people, beckoning her to follow in their footsteps and pick up the mantle of her mission once again. The very same hopeful, encouraging sort of message her grandmother's own spirit was offering her as she stood, smiling warmly and lovingly at her all the while as she decided to embrace that mission and everything it meant.

"_I will carry you here in my heart," _Tears of joy filled her eyes as she turned to her grandmother once more, knowing that even though she was gone, she'd always be with her where it mattered most.

"_You remind me-_

_That come what may I know the way!_

_I am Moana!" _

With no further doubts in her mind about herself or her destiny, she hoisted her sail high, ready to let the wind and sea guide her to where she wanted to go. As she set forth, the visions of her ancestors and her grandmother gradually disappeared, though the brimming warmth they had filled her with never left as she began her journey anew, determined to find and restore the heart of Te Fiti and save her people, just as the Ocean, just as her very own heart, had called her to do.

And fortunately, that was something she wouldn't have to do alone.

For as her boat sped across the sea toward Te Fiti, she soon caught sight of another vessel doing the exact same in the distance. Confused, she squinted to try and get a better look at the sailless raft, only to realize that not only was the Ocean itself pulling it toward her, but that a very familiar group was all crowded onto it as they drew closer to her.

"Sora! Donald! Goofy!" Moana happily called, waving to the trio as she noticed them first.

"Moana!" they all eagerly shouted back, glad to see that she was safe and sound after the fight against Te Kā.

At the same time, Moana pulled her own boat to a stop, allowing the raft to approach it. And in the process, she happened to spot who the trio had brought along with them, her eyes widening in surprise as she spotted the demigod and the apologetic frown he was sending her way. "M-Maui?" she asked somewhat apprehensively, lest another severe falling out erupt between them once more. "You… you came back."

Maui let out a small, somewhat humble chuckle as they all boarded Moana's boat once more. "Well, I couldn't let you get _all _the glory, curly. So… you ready for round two?"

"I _would _be but…" Moana sighed, clutching her now-empty necklace. "I lost the heart... "

"You mean… _this _heart?" Sora grinned, holding the shining stone up with a bright smile.

"Sora! You found it!" Moana exclaimed, elated as the Keybearer handed it back over to her.

"Actually… I think it was more like _it _found me," Sora grinned, scratching the back of his neck.

"So we're really gonna try and fight Te Kā again?" Goofy asked, aptly nervous as the skies above grew ashy as they approached the monster's domain.

"That didn't really go so well the last time…" Donald added, shaking his head.

"Well _this _time, I have a plan," Moana said, resolved as she pulled the boat's sail taunt. "Te Kā is made of lava; she can't follow us into the water. We make it past the barrier islands, we make it to Te Fiti."

"But… what about Te Kā?" Sora asked, largely out of nowhere.

"What about her?" Maui raised a curious eyebrow. "Once we get that heart to Te Fiti, ol' lava-breath will be out of our hair once and for all."

"Well, yeah, but..." the Keybearer trailed off, noticing that none of the others shared his hesitance in going through with this plan. "N-none of you felt it, did you?"

"Felt what?" Moana asked, confused.

"Last time we went up against Te Kā, it was almost like I could feel what she was feeling," Sora explained earnestly, his hand gently skimming over his heart while he spoke. "She was… angry and upset a-and… and she wanted that heart more than _anything_."

"Yeah? So does every single other monster in the sea," Maui remarked as he kept the sail steady. "Don't see why one of the ones who actively tried to kill us should get any special treatment."

"You don't _have _to feel sorry for her, Sora," Donald agreed. "She is just another monster after all."

"Well, you know Sora, Donald," Goofy said, trying to bring a bit of levity in the form of a small chuckle. "He's always had a knack for knowin' just what other people-or monsters, this time, I guess-are feelin'!"

"For better or worse…" the magician grumbled, crossing his arms.

"Sora?" Moana spoke up, noticing as the Keybearer turned away from his companions, apparently frustrated. However, he wasn't really, instead pensively placing his focus on the billowing smoke ahead. Smoke that signaled the emergence of Te Kā once again.

"Look alive, everyone," Maui said, gripping his hook fightly for the fray ahead.

"B-but… what about your hook?" Moana asked worriedly. "One more hit and…"

Maui simply grinned at this, that brazen smile widening as he noticed the lava monster pull herself upon onto her island perch once again. "Te Kā's gotta catch me first." With that, the demigod swung his weapon, taking on the form of a hawk before he took to the skies to offer a distraction, though not before sending one more encouraging call back to Moana as he did. "I got your back, chosen one! Go save the world."

Even so, Te Kā's initial focus was on the boat swiftly sailing her way. Moana and the trio exchanged a simple nod to reaffirm their resolve, even as a returning horde of Unversed soon began to make themselves apparent, just as they had the last time. Sora, Donald, and Goofy were quick to call upon their weapons, ready to ward off the creatures in order to let Moana keep control of the boat. She did so deftly, pulling against the sail hard as Te Kā reeled up her first fiery attack. The boat swerved hard in turn, and though the trio was just as ready for it as Moana was, every single Unversed that had happened to latch onto it was abruptly thrown off. And, as expected, as soon as Te Kā threw her fist down at the boat, she missed, instead painfully extinguishing the flames gloving her hand as she brought it back quickly.

The clever maneuver clearly caught the monster off guard as the boat easily glided past her, though she didn't have much of a chance to pursue it as Maui flew in. Annoyed, Te Kā swatted at him, though his swift wings worked perfectly in helping him dodge the attacks. All the same, the monster decided to ignore him for now, sensing that the heart was still with the group on the boat as she followed them across the barrier islands in a blind rage. Yet Moana stayed her course, ignoring the swarming Unversed as the trio readily took care of them for her, even as they neared the very opening in the island wall she had been looking for. Te Kā unleashed a flurry of flaming attacks at them as she made her way to that gap, inevitably blocking it off entirely as she soon lost sight of the boat amidst the smoke she was creating. When it cleared, however, she was met with a shocking sight the moment she found the boat had turned when she wasn't looking, leaving her behind as it skipped across the sea to an entirely different gap in the islands instead.

Desperate to stop her foes, Te Kā lashed out with another burst of flame, lobbing it at the boat just as it began to cross through that rocky opening. The resounding explosion rattled the narrow strait, throwing the boat and its passengers forward roughly. In the process, Moana's tight grip in the heart of Te Fiti was broken and the stone was sent tumbling across the deck. However, despite everyone's shared panicked attempts at retrieving it, ultimately Heihei was the one to nab it in his beak in the last second before it could fall into the sea.

"Nice work, Heihei," Moana grinned as the dim-witted chicken delivered the heart back into her hand.

"Look out!" the trio shouted unanimously, alerting Moana to the next bout of danger they were about to face. Between the crowds of Unversed hovering about the boat, a large boulder was plummeting toward the boat as it neared the edge of the straight. Acting quickly, Moana pushed the boat forward hard, clearing the passage just in time for the inevitable momentous splash to push them past it altogether, leaving their ultimate destination finally in clear sight.

"Te Fiti…" Moana said, taking in a steadying breath as she continued sailing straight toward it. Te Kā, on the other hand, had other plans in mind.

The monster exploded in a deafening, raging roar, blasting through the barrier islands and sending the boat and everyone on it flying forward once more. Though they all landed apart from each other in the water, however, none of them stayed down long, instead swimming as fast as they could to reclaim the overturned canoe before Te Kā could come in for another attack. And yet, even with all four of them working together to right the overturned boat, they simply didn't have enough time as the monster aggressively reached forward, ready to bring this to an end once and for all.

At least, until Maui stopped her dead in her tracks. The demigod flew in fast, swinging his hook as hard as he could to slice through Te Kā's outstretched hand, severing it entirely. As the monster recoiled, the demigod landed squarely on the boat, using his hook to quickly turn it upright, much to the group's immense relief.

"Maui," Moana stopped him before he could head back into the fight, so, _so _glad to have him standing by her side in this battle after all. "Thank you."

The demigod grinned, offering her a knowing wink as he raised his hook high once again. "You're welcome."

And with that, he was off, shapeshifting into the form of a beetle in the hopes that he'd be too small for Te Kā to take notice of. At least until he came face-to-face with her, only to switch into the form of a whale without warning. While in that massive shape, he splashed down into the sea hard, the immense wave that followed dousing the monster's flames as she let out a fierce, agonized scream. And though the others stayed the course and continued fighting and sailing, Sora winced as he once again felt a dulled-down echo of that agony, aching in his heart as he watched the monster writhe and struggle to succeed. Still, even as that pain continued to linger, he forced himself to ignore it, instead opting to continue the fight against the Unversed alongside Donald and Goofy as Moana sailed ever closer to Te Fiti.

All the while, Maui continued distracting Te Kā, switching between different forms seemingly every other minute just to confuse and disorient her. Along the way he cut through her other molten hand, though as soon as he did, she immediately lashed out, striking the demigod clean out of the sky. Maui barely managed a rough landing on a small islet near Te Fiti, though as he did, Te Kā turned her attention away from him and toward the boat all too quickly approaching the much larger island ahead.

Maui let out a startled gasp as he quickly picked himself up, noticing as Te Kā poised herself to unleash an absolutely devastating attack. "Moana! Sora!" he let out a warning shout, though the group on the boat had no time to react before the Ocean itself got involved. A large swath of sea did the best it could to block the ball of flame, though most of it still got through, slamming into the water just behind the boat. The immense impact broke most of the canoe apart as it catapulted its passengers into the sea, though once again the Ocean came to their rescue to carry them all the rest of the way to the shore.

Yet even though they'd reached their destination, they were hardly out of danger. The Unversed were as intent on getting ahold of the heart as ever, materializing in droves the moment they touched down on solid ground.

"T-there's too many of them," Moana shook her head, realizing that the creatures were basically barricading the path forward. "What do we do?"

"_We'll _take care of 'em!" Goofy boldly proclaimed, shield raised for the fight.

"Sora, you help go help Moana with the heart!" Donald agreed, firing a powerful wind spell to clear out a few of the Unversed.

"Right," Sora nodded, turning to Moana, who was every bit as resolved as he was to see this mission through to completion.

"Go!" Maui shouted to them from his distant spot as he watched the pair begin to make their way up the mountain. "Get the heart to the spiral!"

Clearly, however, Maui wasn't the only one who had noticed their approach, for Te Kā watched them with rising fury, flames curling around her massive form as she readied herself to take them down once and for all. The demigod, on the other hand, was _not _about to let that happen. His cracked hook sparked with broken power as he slowly picked it up, bracing himself for whatever was about to happen. And, as he steeled that courageous resolve, he leapt forward, raising his hook high for what could very well be his final blow.

Te Kā met it squarely in another explosion of incredible power, the fallout of which instantly rippled across the sea. The wave of devastating energy pushed the Unversed, as well as Donald and Goofy fighting them, back against the mountain, and knocked Sora and Moana over entirely as they continued climbing it. At the same time, Maui crashed onto the islet once again, pain reverberating through both his body and his heart as he caught sight of his hook. Or rather, the very little that was left of it. The weapon had all but been destroyed, only its handle remaining as Te Kā's attack had obliterated it completely. And yet, even despite this devastating loss, Maui was true to his word and kept on fighting, catching Te Kā's attention once more with a fearsome war cry. He knew it wouldn't do much good other than buying some much needed time, but even so, he broke out into a brazen ceremonial dance, fearlessly glaring the monster down all the while, even as she began to prepare a flaming attack that could very well end it all entirely. And yet, this time, that didn't matter to the demigod, knowing that the fate of the world and his friends was far more important than whatever fate he might meet instead.

However, at that very moment, Moana and Sora just so happened to finally reach the top of the island, the former taking the heart out in the hopes of restoring it and putting an end to this devastating struggle once and for all. And yet, as they cleared the mountain's peak together, they were instantly met with an incredibly disheartening sight.

"No…" Moana gasped, her eyes wide with disbelief as she stared at what lay before them, or rather _below _them. Rather than the rest of the island or the spiral Maui had spoken of, there was _nothing_ there. Nothing but bare, empty ocean and the vague, shadowed silhouette of the sleeping goddess who had once laid there. "Te Fiti… it's _gone_…"

"Wait," Sora interjected, letting out a small gasp of realization as he turned back toward Te Kā. His heart still rang with the same sort of desperation, the same sort of distraught fury she was feeling. Yet as both him and Moana happened to spot the vague shape of an unfinished spiral caved deep into her chest, he finally, _finally _understood where those feelings were coming from in the first place. "...She's a _Heartless…_"

"A what?" Moana asked, confused.

"A-A Heartless," the Keybearer explained as quickly as he could. "They're what people turn into when they lose their hearts. Te Fiti's heart was stolen, right? Then that means-"

"That means… Te Kā…" Moana whispered, looking to the heart in her hand first then back to the monster who wanted it back so very much. The monster who was also more than ready to unleash the worst of her flaming fury onto Maui down below. At least, until she caught even the smallest glimpse of the radiant light coming from the mountain's peak.

The entire area soon fell into silence, even the Unversed diminishing and disappearing as Te Kā abandoned her attack entirely, focusing only on the heart and the heart alone as Moana held it up high for her to see. After exchanging a resolved nod with Sora, Moana stepped forward, holding onto the heart as she began to slowly make her way down the mountain alone. Maui, Donald, and Goofy alike all watched in muted confusion and equal concern as she reached the shore, the Ocean awaiting her command as she spoke it simply and softly. "Let her come to me," she said. And so the Ocean did.

The waters peeled back, forming high walls on both sides as it crafted a path of solid ground for her to walk through, ground that led straight to Te Kā herself. And down that path Moana began, unfettered by the danger, even as the monster unleashed a furious scream. With no water in her way, Te Kā slammed to the now-dry ground, clawing her way forward in a fit of unbridled rage to at long last take back what was rightfully hers.

As Te Kā made her violent approach, Sora felt that rage clearly, letting out a strained cry of pain as it brutally pounded through his heart. And yet, even despite it, all he could think of as he remained atop the mountain was Moana, brazenly walking straight toward her vicious demise. Once again, he felt that pang of heat and cold amidst the pain, to the point that he didn't even need to check to see if darkness and light were surging around his hands, he just _knew_. And as that power and the strength it offered him flooded his senses, he slowly rose his hand in preparation for an attack, one that he desperately hoped would be enough to save Moana before it was too late.

And yet..

"_I have crossed the horizon to find you…" _she was singing to the monster, even as it raced toward her with clear, destructive intent.

"_I know your name…" _Her approach was steady and slow, a clear contrast to Te Kā's frantic, erratic rush to meet her.

"_They have stolen the heart from inside you…" _The monster's fury seemed to flourish at this, something that Sora clearly felt, though he didn't move, even despite the immense flush of power surrounding his hand. Power that, for some reason or another, he was hesitating to unleash.

"_But this does not define you…" _Moana stopped, ready to face whatever happened next as Te Kā finished her own fearsome approach.

"_This is not who you are…." _Te Kā slowly stopped, her anger starting to dissipate into something else, something that, once again, the Keybearer could clearly feel: _yearning_. The grief that came from being torn apart for so long. The need to bring the broken pieces back together again.

The desire to _finally _be made whole.

And as he felt that, as he _truly _understood it, his hand slowly drifted downward, the magic swelling from it disappearing altogether.

"_You know who you are..."_

Those words seemed to gently echo through the Keybearer's heart as the ashen skies flooded with brilliant golden light, the sky and sea disappearing all around him. He knew what this was, expected it at this point, and closed his eyes, taking in a calm, quiet breath as the next question posed itself to him.

"_Can you connect with the hearts of others?"_

Sora opened his eyes at this, admittedly somewhat confused by the question. The first two had been very easy and straightforward to respond to, yet this one almost seemed like some sort of strange riddle. And yet… despite how odd it was, it was a question his heart somehow knew the answer to all the same, especially as he realized just how many hearts he'd managed to bridge the gap between, not just in this world, but in countless others.

"Yes…" he said with a small, confident smile, hoping that his earnestly would be rewarded. And sure enough, it was as that mysterious light flashed away again, returning him to the present and leaving behind only one thing: the sparkling, shimmering Key now resting in his hand.

And yet, for as radiant as that Key was, Sora only paid attention to it for a brief moment, instead, opting to turn his focus back toward Moana and Te Kā once more. The girl and the monster were now face-to-face, and yet still Moana did not waver. Instead, she stepped toward the now-doused Te Kā, placing a gentle hand against her stony face as she finally succeeded in quelling the last of the monster's anger and anguish altogether. "Who you _truly _are…" she whispered and Te Kā understood. In fact, she stayed perfectly still as Moana stepped up to the spiral on her chest, carefully restoring the heart to exactly where it was meant to go.

The effect was immediate, the heart's power pulsating life across a form that had been devoid of it for a millennia now. Slowly, Te Kā's rigid, stony exterior began to crumble away, revealing the true face that laid beneath: Te Fiti herself.

Without her hallow, rocky shell suffocating her, Te Fiti was radiantly beautiful, lush and green once more, her entire body adorned with flowers and fauna, all springing back to vibrant life as the goddess offered the human standing before her a warm and grateful smile. Moana readily returned it, watching in amazement as Te Fiti rose, a floral halo blooming to life around her head as she began to move back toward her island home, the Ocean picking Moana up so she could follow suit. As the goddess reached her island, offered another kind, cordial smile to Sora as he stood on its highest peak, noting the Key he was holding onto and nodding knowingly, almost as if she was entrusting it into his care. The Keybearer was more than happy to accept it, but even more amazed as both him and Moana got a front row seat to Te Fiti restoring life to her barren home with just a single gentle touch. From her guiding hand, the once-brittle earth flourished, plants and trees of all kinds springing up and filling the entire island with beautiful, vivid color, restoring what had been lost and, in much of the same way, breaking the pall of darkness and death that had spread from here across the sea.

As the Ocean brought Moana to the island, it likewise tossed Maui, Donald, Goofy, and even Heihei up to the same perch, as Sora ran down the hill to meet them. The entire group shared a mutual air of excitement and relief, their daunting mission finally complete in more ways than one as they reunited to celebrate their victory.

"W-we did it!" Moana exclaimed, elated.

"_You _did it, chosen one," Maui corrected with a wide, proud grin.

Moana warmly accepted the adulation, though her smile did fall a bit as she realized the demigod was missing something. "I'm… sorry about your hook," she said earnestly.

Maui, however, took it in stride, remembering well the advice that both Moana and Sora had given him as he offered them both a thankful smile. "Well, hook or no hook… I'm still Maui."

The pair was more than happy to hear this, proud of just how far the demigod had come. Proud of how far they _all _had come.

"Wait a second…" Donald spoke up, surprised as both him and Goofy noticed what Sora had claimed.

"Is that…?" the captain trailed off, amazed.

"Yep, it's the Key," Sora smiled, holding said Key up proudly.

"_That's_ what you've been looking for?" Moana asked, absolutely mystified by the beautiful relic.

"Some Key," Maui noted, equally impressed as he curiously reached for it. "Mind if I-"

Before the demigod could finish, the ground beneath the entire group suddenly startled to rumble. Or rather, the _hand _of the goddess they all just so happened to be standing on. Te Fiti slowly brought them all up to her level, smiling silently yet happily all the while, even as Moana quickly reverently bowed before her, the trio quickly following suit as they urged Maui to do the same. Speaking of the demigod, as Te Fiti looked to him, her smile finally fell, something that Maui noticed immediately as he made a rather awkward attempt at smoothing things over with the goddess he'd once stolen from.

"T-Te Fiti!" he greeted with a forced laugh as he stood. "H-hey! I mean, h-how ya been?" The goddess still said nothing, only looking to him flatly, clearly not appreciating his casual manner in light of the circumstances. So instead, Maui cleared his throat, taking on a more serious, earnest tone as he decided to own up to his 1,000 year old mistake instead. "Look… what I did was… wrong. I have no excuse. I'm sorry."

Fortunately, Te Fiti accepted with apology gracefully as she brought her other hand in close, showing the demigod she harbored no hard feeling as she offered him a miraculous gift in exchange for his determination to set things right: a brand new hook, brimming with every bit of reliable power as his previous one had.

Maui let out a delighted gasp the moment he saw the weapon, though he hesitated in taking it until Moana playfully urged him onward. "You know, it would be rude to refuse a gift from a goddess…"

Maui instantly agreed, taking the hook as he let out a mighty cheer before testing its shapeshifting abilities out. Of course, they worked perfectly as he took the form of a beetle, gleefully taking to the skies as the others watched him with shared amusement as Te Fiti began to lower them down to the shore. As they reconvened with Maui there, the goddess poured out her restorative power once more, this time to bring Moana's broken boat back into existence in a wave of flourishing flowers, much to her immense excitement.

With her work completed, Te Fiti stretched out far across her island, sending the group far below one final, thankful smile for their shared valiant efforts. And then, the goddess finally, happily took her rest as she became part of her island home, returning to her peaceful slumber so her heart could spread its vibrant power of life across the sea once more.

As soon as the goddess grew still in her slumber, Moana turned to the trio in particular, a bright, grateful smile spread wide across her face. "Sora, Donald, Goofy," she began earnestly. "Thanks for all your help; I wouldn't have been able to do any of this without you."

"Aw, shucks, we were happy to help," Goofy said with a humble grin.

"Like we said, we're experts when it comes to restoring hearts!" Donald proclaimed much more proudly.

"_And_ when it comes to saving worlds-er, I-I mean, _the _world." Sora quickly corrected himself, eliciting confused glances from Moana and Maui. At least, however, until Donald and Goofy could no longer hold back the shared bout of laughter over the Keybearer's near slip-up, laughter that soon enough Sora himself joined in on. Likewise, Moana and Maui got in on the fun as well, even if they didn't quite understand exactly what was so funny, though the sense of levity was still riding high between them all the same, especially in light of their recent victory.

"Aw, such a touching little moment. What a shame it has to come to an _end_…"

The entire group was immediately caught off guard by this rather cold statement, one that came from the lone figure approaching from the far end of the shoreline. Said figure was clad in a fit, black bodysuit, his face completely obscured by the dark, masked helmet he was wearing, even if the glass that mask was made of bore a small yet stark crack strewn across it. Even so, there was a clear, negative aura radiating from this mysterious being, one that Sora noticed immediately, more than any of the others as he took a step forward, looking to him distrustfully.

"Who are you?" Sora asked, staying on guard as the masked figure continued making his way toward them.

"Hmph, figures _you _wouldn't know…" he remarked haughtily as he finally stopped several feet away. "Gotta say, that strange getup nearly had me fooled at first, brother."

"Brother?" Maui frowned, glancing over at Sora in confusion. "I didn't know you had a brother, kid."

"I don't," the Keybearer shook his head, just as bewildered as he kept his sights trained on the masked boy all the while. "And who are you to call anyone strange?"

"Say, do we know this fella?" Goofy asked Donald, aside in a whisper.

"Uhh…" the magician frowned, uncertain.

"We've never met in the flesh," the masked boy informed easily, finally offering the group a proper introduction. "I am Vanitas."

Donald and Goofy balked at this, instantly recognizing the name, though Sora was still rather out of the loop as he maintained his stern, unflinching manner all the same. "Let me guess," he began, glaring at Vanitas suspiciously. "You're with the Organization, right? Because you sure come across as someone who would be. All that's missing is the black coat."

"Tch, that's because I tossed mine out," Vanitas said, a hint of disdain in his already quite contemptuous tone. "Didn't want to send out the wrong message that I was still running with that pack of gullible losers."

Sora was admittedly quite surprised to hear this, understanding the implication instantly, though he was still quite perplexed by what it really meant. "Wait, y-you… left the-" he quickly cut himself off, shaking his head before getting things back on track. "Whatever, doesn't matter. This is the part where you spout some mumbo-jumbo and disappear, right? 'Cause if you think you're gonna get your hands on the Key we just got, you can just-"

"Please," Vanitas scoffed, crossing his arms. "I couldn't care less about your precious 'Keys to the Kingdom'. At least not yet. What I'm after is a _much _bigger prize."

Needless to say that such an alarming statement only served to set the Keybearer on edge even more than he already was. Briefly, he considered if, in the event of a possible confrontation breaking out, he might need to utilize his newfound powers to ward off whatever threat Vanitas might possibly pose. And yet, strangely, the masked boy showed no immediate interest in fighting as he instead turned his attention to Te Fiti's resting form towering over them all.

"This entire world is kept alive by the heart of only one being," he mused almost thoughtfully. "Without that heart, this ocean began to crumble as darkness crept its way across it. And her rage," he nodded over at the slumbering goddess almost callously. "Fueled that darkness and pushed it along. It was as rich of a source of negative emotion as we'll ever find."

"Te Kā-_Te Fiti _wasn't doing that on purpose!" Moana interjected firmly. "She was suffering, she wanted, _needed _her heart, and so did the rest of the ocean! That's why we came here, to give it back to her."

"You did, didn't you?" Vanitas asked almost mockingly. "But it sure took you long enough to get the job done. And before you did, that gave me more than enough time to find exactly what I needed…"

"Ugh, alright, this is getting old," Maui grumbled, annoyed. "Can you just speed this up and get to the point already?"

Surprisingly, Vanitas nodded, apparently agreeing to do just that. "My heart is made of just one thing," he explained ominously. "And before now, I never even knew the Unversed could come from anywhere but there. At least, until I got a taste of just how much raw, untapped _fury _the monster your precious goddess used to be was feeling."

"The Unversed… came from _you_?" Sora asked in appalled realization.

"Not this time." The masked boy looked toward Te Fiti once more. "They came from _her_."

"Y-you used her!" Moana accused angrily. "You took advantage of her pain just so you could make your stupid monsters! That's _horrible_!"

Even so, Vanitas hardly seemed to care about the ethics of his actions as he looked to the group before him once more, finally taking another step toward them. "And yet… even with all that negative emotion, my heart is still incomplete… I need something else." As he drew in closer, he suddenly, swiftly summoned none other than a Keyblade, a dark and sinister one at that, which he pointed directly at Sora before he could even think to react. "The half of me that sleeps on… inside of _your _heart…"

"Vanitas!" Sora exclaimed, though the angry shock that rippled through him clearly came from someone _else_. He gasped as that part of him remembered, as it _knew exactly who the masked boy really was, exactly what he wanted, exactly what he had tried to claim. And exactly how his attempt to claim it had nearly cost them both their very existences, their very lives. _And yet, despite some piece of his heart bearing that knowledge, it didn't share it with him as he remained baffled and alarmed by the sense of fearful familiarity he couldn't quite place.

"Ventus…" Vanitas remarked with a clear sense of satisfaction in his tone as he lowered his Keyblade and began reaching a covetous hand out toward the startled Keybearer. "What a strange place to slither off to, you insignificant speck."

Sora was quick to block whatever attempt Vanitas had in mind, quickly slapping his hand away as he took a stumbling step backward. Yet all the while, his heart continued throwing him back into a _memory that wasn't even his, of a violent, devastating battle against a figure whose face he couldn't clearly see. Jet black hair and sharp golden eyes were all he could make out as their Keyblades clashed in a fight that he ultimately knew would have no real winner. _Even so, he forced himself to break out of those confusing, disconcerting memories, his heart still aching with them as he looked back to the masked boy incredulously. "W-what… what are you talking about?" he asked, much weaker than he had meant to.

At the same time, Moana keenly noticed Sora's clear distress, just as much as Donald and Goofy also had. However, as she took a bold step forward in an attempt to defend him, Maui suddenly stopped her with a firm hand on her shoulder, shaking his head sternly against whatever impromptu plan she might have in mind. For a moment, all she could do was look to him in confusion, at least until the demigod nodded toward the Ocean, silently communicating his own idea to put an end to this once and for all.

"Oh, you wouldn't remember," Vanitas answered Sora, his manner as coldly calm as ever. "When you were little, you formed a special bond with a boy named Ventus who joined with your heart."

"Ven!" Donald exclaimed, remembering the supposedly lost boy well.

"Is he sayin' that one other missing Keyblade wielders we're lookin' for is inside of Sora's heart?" Goofy asked, aptly bewildered and concerned.

"H-how is that even possible…?" Sora barely managed to ask, practically crippled by both the revelation and the overwhelming storm of memories and feelings swirling through his heart. At the same time another unknown memory surfaced, one that _**forced him to stand, abandoned and alone for what seemed like ages, stirring in inescapable hate and misery and **_**emptiness**_** so intense that it was unbearable. So agonizing that the only thing he could even **_**try **_**to do to fill it was recklessly destroy the very embodiments of his own horrendous emotions, trapping himself in a cycle of pain and suffering that simply refused to break. And all the while, he kept it going, desperate to fill a void he could never hope to complete, at least… not on his own. **_

The second he was finally, almost _blissfully _pulled out of that awful memory, tears suddenly started welling up in Sora's eyes, though where they were really coming from he scarcely understood. Vanitas himself seemed to start as he noticed them, almost as if he'd been caught off guard by something himself, but even so, he forced himself to stay his course, darkness swelling around him as he raised his Keyblade to attack yet again.

"Now…" he growled bitterly, ready to finally, _finally _end this. "You will return Ventus to me!"

As soon as Vanitas swung his Keyblade out into the open air before him, the already palpable pain pounding through Sora's heart seemed to spike tenfold. He gasped in agony as he collapsed to his knees, one hand digging into the sand as his other pressed tightly against his chest as _flashes __**of **__faces __**and **__places __**danced **__across __**his **__vision. Of the warm, welcoming smiles of his two closest friends and his respected master. __**Of a desolate graveyard and the disapproving scowl of the cruel and callous man he had no choice but to follow. **_Yet as he narrowly managed to ground himself back into the present once more, the first thing he noticed were his companions, boldly coming to stand between him and Vanitas to prevent any further harm from coming to their young ward.

And yet, what none of them, not even Vanitas thought to pay any mind to was the pair that was discreetly skirting around the entire encounter by way of the forested cover the island's other side provided them with. All for the sake of carrying out the plan they had formed, one they could only hope to carry out before it was too late.

"Donald… Goofy…" the Keybearer breathlessly choked out, trying his hardest to remain focused on the pair and their valiant efforts to protect him. Lest he slip back into another hectic round of conflicting memories that weren't even his to begin with.

"The King told us about this!" Goofy exclaimed, holding his shield steady against the encroaching darkness. "Ventus wasn't able to defeat Vanitas. They struck each other down and then the King said that Ventus' heart never returned to him!"

"But you're _not _about to let you hurt Sora!" Donald exclaimed to Vanitas angrily, his staff raised and ready to attack. "Not on our watch!"

The wave of darkness Vanitas was sending out stilled at this, though only so he could fire off a much more powerful one at the pair instead. "Stay out of this!" he shouted, his power easily sweeping Donald and Goofy aside, effectively removing the only two obstacles that stood between him and what he was truly after.

As his companions were tossed to the wayside, Sora quickly did his best to pick himself up off the ground, struggling to so much as even summon his Keyblade, though the moment he did, a single heavy swing from Vanitas' sent it flying out of his hands. Defenseless and disoriented as he was, there was little the Keybearer could do to stop the masked boy from aiming his Keyblade straight for his heart. Little, that is, aside from draw power from a different source instead.

Sora let out a small, shuddering breath as he slowly began to raise a shaking hand, one that was wreathed in equal shadow and equal light. And yet, despite his best efforts to remain discreet as possible, Vanitas still noticed his intentions all the same. "Don't even try it," he hissed harshly between gritted teeth, apparently in pain as he held his own free hand high. Sora froze as he saw the power swirling around that hand, starkly realizing that it was largely identical to the very same magic currently converging around his own.

"W-what…?" he wondered in barely a whisper, his own hand falling as his eyes widened in shock.

"Who's the shadow now…?" Vanitas asked, a twinge of sadistic satisfaction in his tone as he raised his Keyblade a bit higher, ready to deliver the final blow. "It's time to end this… Join your heart… with _mine_!"

Sora faltered, bracing himself for what would very likely be an incredibly painful, if not completely fatal blow. And yet, it was a blow that miraculously, never came.

"_Hey! What can I say except-" _Maui stopped the starting lines of his song just as Vanitas turned to face him, completely caught off guard, especially as the demigod offered him a knowing smirk. "Made ya look."

"Back _OFF_!" Moana shouted as she rushed in from Maui's other side, swinging her oar down at the masked boy hard. As unexpected as the attack was, Vanitas was unprepared for it, and even though the oar instantly shattered against his Keyblade, the weapon was still completely knocked out of his hand regardless. And as soon as it was, Maui kept their plan going, his strength serving him well as he easily hoisted the masked boy up into the air, completely ignoring his outraged attempts at struggling against his hold.

"Augh! Let me go!" Vanitas shouted furiously, but Maui still paid him no mind as he watched Moana run over toward the sea instead.

"Moana, now!" he called and she complied, whistling to the Ocean for its aid just as Maui threw Vanitas hard toward it. The Ocean easily caught him though it didn't stop there, not just submerging him, but sending him flying once more, several times over in fact. Like a stone skipping across a lake, so too did the Ocean swiftly continue to toss Vanitas across its surface, over and over again until he inevitably disappeared over the horizon, far out of sight.

With their plan successfully accomplished, Maui and Moana exchanged a celebratory high five. Even so, no one was more impressed by it than Sora as he quickly recovered, foreign memories and persistent pain no longer pulling on his heart as he went to join the pair, immensely relieved. "That was awesome!" he exclaimed, as Donald and Goofy hurried after him to ensure he was alright. "Thank you."

"_You're welcome!" _Moana sang, mimicking Maui playfully.

"Hey! That's _my _line," the demigod teased with a wry grin. The others all got a much-needed laugh out of this, their former levity finally returning in the aftermath of what had been quite a harrowing situation. However, that levity was still tinged with something bittersweet: the steady realization that it was finally time for all of them to head their separate ways.

Maui was the first to prepare for his departure, though not before making sure Moana's boat was stashed with all the supplies she'd need for the long voyage home. Of course, as he piled the sizable bounty of fruit into the canoe's compartment, Heihei clumsily fell into it, just as he always managed to do. "Heh, I'm gonna miss ya, drumstick," he remarked to the chicken as he set him upright on the boat once again.

"You could come with us, you know," Moana offered as she prepared the boat for the trip. "My people are gonna need a master wayfinder to help us get back to voyaging again."

"They already have one," Maui smiled warmly, pulling his necklace aside to reveal a new tattoo taking shape on his chest, one that depicted Moana, Sora, Donald, and Goofy alike, all sailing the seas alongside the demigod.

"Whoa, cool!" Sora exclaimed, amazed.

"Gee, I don't think we've ever been a tattoo before," Goofy noted with a bright chuckle.

"I'd say we've earned it," Donald grinned proudly.

Moana, on the other hand, couldn't contain herself, rushing to embrace the demigod in a hug he readily, happily returned. "You three take care," Maui said, turning to the trio as the embrace disbanded. "And don't forget, everything you learned about sailing-"

"We learned from Maui," Sora finished with a laugh. "Don't worry, we won't."

Maui nodded confidently at this, backing up toward the shore a bit, though not before allowing Mini-Maui a chance to wave his own sad farewell to the group, one that they were all sure to return with reassuring smiles. "See you out there, Maui," Moana said, sincerely hoping that their paths would cross again someday.

"See you out there, Moana," Maui agreed, certain that they would. And then, with a single swing of his brand new hook, the demigod transformed into a mighty hawk, taking wing to the sky as the Ocean saw him off with a spectacular aquatic show. The others all waved to him fondly, calling out their last farewells until Maui finally flew away, letting the wind and sea carry him to wherever they wanted him to go next.

Once the demigod had disappeared into the sky, Moana turned to the trio once more, her heart still heavy yet light all at the same time as she stepped onto her boat. "So… you guys ready to go?" she asked, extending a hand out toward them. A hand that none of them moved to accept.

"Actually, Moana…" Sora began with a small, sad frown. "This is actually where we say goodbye too…"

"W-what?" Moana asked, surprised at this.

"We got one of the Keys we're looking for," Sora explained, letting said Key flash into his grip once again. "But… there's still more we need to find."

"Which means we gotta keep lookin' for 'em," Goofy added just as devoutly. "Wherever they might be."

"W-well, then I could look with you!" Moana eagerly volunteered. "We could sail across the sea, from island to island, until we finally find them all! How does that sound?"

The trio exchanged a fretful glance at this, appreciating the girl's intentions, but knowing full well that her plan was, by all accounts, an impossible one. "But what about your island?" Donald fortunately countered just in time.

"Yeah!" Sora agreed with an encouraging smile. "Didn't you say you wanted to help your people get out to explore the ocean again? You can't really do that if you're traveling with us, you know."

"...I guess you're right…" Moana nodded in bittersweet acceptance. "Still, I'm really gonna miss each of you. I had a lot of fun sailing with you guys, fighting monsters, saving the world… I don't think it's something I'll ever be able to forget."

"Neither will we," Sora assured, Donald and Goofy readily nodding in solid agreement. "Safe sailing, Moana."

"Same to you, Sora," Moana smiled, hoisting her sail to take to the sea once more. Though even as her boat set out upon the water, she still turned back toward the trio, offering them one final warm wave as she set sail for her island home, treasuring the time they'd spent together all the while.

Likewise, the trio continued to fondly wave her off, or at least Sora did, until he heard his companions pointedly clear their throats behind him. And when he turned to face them, their expressions were crossed between icy suspicion (from Donald) and clear concern (from Goofy).

"Alright, Sora," the magician began, crossing his arms. "It's _later_."

Sora let out an anxious sigh at this, immediately knowing what this was about and the conversation they'd have to have, as much as he didn't want to have it. Which was why he decided to save them all some time by simply summoning the Kingdom Key, not saying a single word as he allowed his companions to look over the cracks torn across it for themselves.

"Gawrsh... it really is cracked, isn't it?" Goofy asked with a fretful frown. "And you said ya don't know how this happened?"

Sora shook his head, glad that he could at least be honest about that, even if he hadn't been about really anything else lately.

"_When_ did this start happening?" Donald asked, raising an eyebrow up at the Keybearer.

"Um… w-well…" Sora hesitated, still struggling to give them the truth as he looked away from both them and his Keyblade. "The first time I noticed it was… a-around the time we left Twilight Town, a-actually…"

"What?!" the magician gasped, both him and the captain balking in disbelief. "You knew about this for _that _long and you didn't say anything?! Why?!"

"Ugh, because I _knew _this is how you guys would react!" Sora snapped, largely without thinking. Yet even despite his frustration, he knew this was only _half _of the real reason why. "That's why I didn't tell you about the scar either. Because… because you both worry way too much!"

"And you don't worry anywhere _near _enough!" Donald countered just as harshly, though Goofy made an attempt at calming him down by placing a level hand on his shoulder.

"Sora, we just…" the captain trailed off with an earnest sigh. "We all heard what Ansem and Xemnas said, 'bout the Organization still wanting you as one of their vessels. And even though we don't know for sure, your scar and what's happened to your Keyblade _could _have somethin' to do with that."

"But they _don't_," Sora said, even though he really didn't know that. He certainly _hoped _they didn't, and yet…

"But they _could _be," Donald pointed out, his anger finally simmering down somewhat.. "And _that's _why we're so worried, Sora. W-we almost lost you during the exam, we don't want to lose you again."

"_You won't," _is what Sora _wanted _to say. And yet he couldn't quite bring himself to do so, his heart sinking with both dread and shame as he let his Keyblade disappear while he looked away. "I know…"

"Now, c'mon," Goofy encouraged with a small smile. "Let's go to Master Yen Sid's to see if he can help us fix your Keyblade!"

"Yeah, and we can call Riku and the King to fill them in along the way," Donald added, turning to leave.

"W-what? No!" Sora immediately protested, absolutely opposed to letting _anyone _else in on his once well-kept secrets. Not that he wanted to admit that to Donald and Goofy. "I-I mean… what's the use of bothering them when they're all busy doing their own things? It's really not that big a deal after all…"

"Yes, it _is_," Donald countered, shaking his head disapprovingly.

"W-well, still," the Keybearer let out a steadying breath, desperate to keep all this under wraps. _Especially _from Riku. "We don't need to get them involved. We can figure out how to fix my Keyblade and heal my scar on our own, right?" Donald and Goofy exchanged a doubtful glance at this, but even so, Sora continued his appeal. "Besides, we're really busy too! We still need to find the rest of the Keys, remember?"

"Hm… you _do _got a point…" Goofy noted thoughtfully. "Plus, if Ventus's heart really _is _inside of yours, Sora, then we gotta find a way to help him out!"

"You really believe what Vanitas said?" Donald asked, suspicious.

"Well, shucks, it's all we really have to go off of…" the captain pointed out with a shrug.

"It's good enough for me," Sora nodded, resolved. "We'll find a way to help Roxas and Ventus, and fix my Keyblade and my scar _and _find the Keys and we'll do it all on our own!"

"Sounds like a pretty tall order…" Goofy said with a dubious frown.

"Well if there's anyone who can fill that order, it's us!" Sora exclaimed with a determined grin. "Now, come on. We have a _lot _of work to do."

"Fine…" Donald said with a relenting sigh as they prepared to leave this world for whatever one came next. "But _only _if you _finally _stop lying to us."

"We wanna be able to keep on trusting just like we always have, Sora," Goofy added sincerely. "But we can only do that if you trust us first."

"...R-right…" Sora sighed, knowing that even as he said it, he was telling them yet another lie. For there was still the matter of the growing shadows he'd been concealing on his hands, still the matter of the tantalizing new power he'd recently discovered. Still all of the growing doubts and worries and fears about the frightening possibility it all could be pointing toward, still things he hadn't told his devout companions, his trusted friends. Still things he _wanted _to tell them, things he knew he _needed _to tell them, before it was too late.

But this point, he wasn't sure if he ever really could.

* * *

**So yeah, a SUPER long chapter but a really fun one with a lot going on in it (a lot of which factors into the story later on of course) all the same! Now, usually I like to put in interval chapters between the Disney worlds, but next time around we're actually gonna dive right into our next adventure in the big city for... reasons ;) Anyway, if you liked this then _please _let me know what you thought in the REVIEWS! Until next time! :) **


	20. Chapter 19: The Streets of San Fransokyo

_Ah boy so this chapter is sorta... by the books. Not that that's a bad thing, I had a lot of fun with it, but it does stride a little too close to what the game does for my liking. But that's mostly because the chapter that comes after it is where things _really _start to go off the rails so I figured I'd go ahead and make this one relatively more lighthearted and fun before things get real. So with that in mind, enjoy!_

* * *

_Chapter 19: The Streets of San Fransokyo _

_They say we are what we are  
But we don't have to be  
I'm bad behavior but I do it in the best way  
I'll be the watcher (watcher) of the eternal flame  
I'll be the guard dog of all your favorite dreams_

The next world that Sora, Donald, and Goofy's quest for the Keys took them to was a far cry from the one they'd just left. For instead of the vast, open, endless depths of the Great Ocean, what laid before them now was a dense, yet massive cityscape, its sharp, futuristic skyline glistening in the late afternoon sun, even from as far away as the vantage point the trio found themselves on upon their arrival. Said vantage point was a picturesque bridge, built strong and sturdy as its distinctive crimson supports towered high above the wide road it carried, a road strewn with traffic that seemed to be, for some odd reason, in a complete standstill. Yet the odd lack of moving vehicles, much less their drivers, went largely unnoticed by the trio as they ventured out onto the open bridge. Sora in particular was quite impressed by just how cutting-edge the city looked, even from a distance.

"Cool!" He excitedly ran ahead of his companions to get a better look. "And I thought that last world was amazing; but this place is _incredible_!"

"C'mon, Sora," Donald said evenly as he and Goofy continued onward even as Sora continued meandering about. "We need to start looking for that Key."

"Aw, but I wanna take a look at the big city!" Sora protested, knowing that a world like this couldn't be so easily passed by. Especially since cities, especially ones as stunning and sweeping as this one, tended to be few and far between in their adventures.

"Yeah, it does seem pretty exciting," Goofy let out a small, amused chuckle.

"I feel so metropolitain!" Sora exclaimed, finally coming to stop behind the magician and the captain. "Um, cosmopolitan?"

"Non-apolitan!" Donald snapped, annoyed. "We're not here to sight-see! You said so yourself: we have a lot of work to do. So let's get to it already!"

"Uh huh, right, work, got it," Sora nodded rather absently as he pulled his Gummiphone out and began tapping away at it.

"_Now _what?" Donald asked with a dry scowl.

"I gotta tell Riku what a blast this place is!" Sora smiled, knowing that the purpose of such a call would be twofold. For aside from detailing their latest destination, he also intended on making amends with the new master for the rather harsh, callous note he'd left their last call on. A note that he'd been meaning to apologize for for quite some time now really.

"But we just got here," Goofy pointed out. "And we haven't done anything yet."

"_And_, if you think Riku's not busy enough to take time to listen to you go on about the city," Donald offered the Keybearer a critical glare. "Then I guess he _also _has time to hear _all _about the cracks on your Keyblade."

"Oh! And your scar!" Goofy agreed. "We oughta tell him and the king about that too, right?"

Sora froze at this, his hand flying away from his phone just shy of him dialing Riku up. "Um, n-no," he quickly put the Gummiphone away. "Riku and the king _are _busy looking for Aqua, and even though it would be really great if we could call them and tell them about, uh… _that_, we can't. Because they're _busy_. And so are we."

"So you keep saying…" Donald grumbled, unsatisfied.

Still, before either the magician or the captain could push their argument any further, a stark, sudden explosion rattled the entire bridge, nearly knocking the trio off balance entirely. And the source of that explosion was almost immediately made clear as a group of dark, winged creatures arose from the resounding blast.

"Heartless!" the trio exclaimed as they summoned their weapons, wasting no time in rushing forward to combat the familiar threat. And yet their approach was almost immediately stopped as they narrowly managed to dodge something, or rather _someone _who was flung their way from the rampaging horde of Heartless.

It was young woman, though her bright yellow body armor and matching helmet concealed much of her appearance. She hit the ground hard a good ways behind the startled trio, wheel-like metallic disks flying off her suit as she skidded to a stop. And though the trio didn't hesitate to move to help her, they were ultimately beaten to it by the arrival of another pair entirely.

"Go Go! You okay?!"

Caught off guard by this concerned call, they were even more surprised to find that it came from above. More specifically, it came from a boy, clad in a similar suit to the young woman's albeit in purple instead, perched onto the back of a much larger, sturdier figure, decked out in winged red armor as it somehow flew all its own. The pair flew in fast high above the trio as they watched them in amazement, even as they touched down before their injured friend, hurrying to check over her listless form.

"Go Go!" the boy called again, hoping to get some response from her. He ultimately didn't though, much to his growing worry. "Baymax!" he then turned to his taller robotic companion, who, as calmly as he ever was, proceeded to conduct a full-body scan.

"_Go Go's suit has shielded her from a major injury," _the robot reported evenly. _"But the blow she sustained to her head has caused a mild concussion. We should take caution and not move her until we can fully stabilize her head."_

"Got it," the boy nodded, allayed..

"Oh, cool!" Sora eagerly rushed forward to meet the pair as Donald and Goofy followed not too far behind. "That's a robot!"

"_Hello, I am Baymax," _the robot, or Baymax rather, greeted with an amicable wave. _"Your personal healthcare companion."_

"Whoa…" Sora grinned, clearly starstruck by the impressive armored bot. "This rules!"

"Uh, Sora?" Goofy spoke up mindfully. "Remember our _other _problem?"

"The Heartless?" Donald reminded much more impatiently.

"Whoops!" Sora stole a glance over his shoulder at the still-swarming Heartless on the far side of the bridge. "Almost forgot about them. But can you honestly blame me? This is a _real_, actual robot we're talking about here!"

"_Yes, I am real," _Baymax said somewhat obliviously.

"Glad you like him," the boy said with an amused smirk. "But… who are you guys, exactly?"

"I'm Sora!"

"Donald!"

"And I'm Goofy!"

And with that, they were off, weapons summoned as they prepared to plunge themselves into the impending battle. Upon watching the trio's confident bravado, the boy readily perked up, looking to his robot companion with an equally resolved smile, glad that they'd have some much-needed assistance in taking care of this unknown danger. "Name's Hiro," he readily ran forward to meet them. "You… mind helping us fight those guys? Our team's called Big Hero 6. There's usually a few more of us, but… we're spread out a little thin right now dealing with these things all over San Fransokyo. So we could definitely use all the help we could get out here."

"Of course," Sora agreed without a second thought. Largely since dealing with Heartless were already the trio's area of expertise to begin with. "We'd be happy to help."

"Someone has to," Hiro grinned warmly, glad to have the trio's aid as he hurried to hop onto Baymax's back once again. "Let's go, Baymax!" he pointed forward, prompting the robot to blast ahead using his rocket thrusters.

As a result, Baymax was able to meet the Heartless in battle first, beating the trio, though only by a few seconds. As the robot began doling out close-quarters physical attacks, the trio likewise got to work, Donald shooting off spells as Goofy launched his shield into the throng of mechanically-themed Heartless. At the same time, Sora charged through the creatures, doing his best to ignore the cracks in his Keyblade as he cut through the weaker creatures first. With the entire group fighting together in full force, it didn't take long for them all to fall in a steady rhythm with each other, taking down Heartless left and right as they worked their way down the length of the bridge. However, as the monsters' started to go down in numbers, an all new, much larger threat soon made itself apparent as it began thundering down the road, brutishly tossing aside any vehicle in its path as it raged toward the group. This massive Heartless easily hoisted another unoccupied car into the air, throwing it directly at Sora, Donald, and Goofy in particular. The attack came so quickly that the trio didn't have much of a chance to even react to it, much less dodge it, but fortunately, they didn't have to as Baymax came in with a timely rescue instead.

The robot caught the vehicle squarely, hardly even bothered by its immense weight as he held it up solidly, allowing the trio a brief sigh of shared relief behind him. "Yeah!" Sora cheered, quite impressed by Baymax's surprising strength. "Nice catch!"

"Thanks for the save!" Donald added, grateful.

"_You are welcome," _Baymax said, glancing back at the trio as he gently placed the car on the ground. _"You may reduce the risk of injury by seeking cover."_

"I-I don't think there's a whole lotta time for that!" Goofy exclaimed, shield raised as the large Heartless came in for another attack.

The creature lumbered forward aggressively, supported by several of its smaller kin as it raised its ax-like blade to attack. This time however, the trio met its swing, blocking it with all three of their weapons at once, giving Hiro the perfect change to guide Baymax's next move. "Hit him from the side, Baymax!" he shouted, steadying his grip on the robot's back as he quickly flew high above the action. "Hurry!" Baymax did just that, deftly diving back down as as the trio started wavering against the Heartless they were still trying their best to hold off. And as distracted by them as it was, it didn't even notice as a detached rocket-powered fist struck it hard on the side, sending it crashing over onto the far side of the bridge. The rocket fist itself swiftly flew right back over to Baymax as he hovered nearby with Hiro in tow, the detached appendage easily slipping right back onto the robot's hand as the pair geared up to join the trio in whatever came next.

Of course, even despite the heavy damage it sustained, the Heartless wasn't ready to call it quits quite yet. With an angry roar, the creature righted itself, swiveling around to face its foes once more. However, as it did, what it clearly didn't expect was for all five of them to rush it at once, weapons drawn and attacks advancing to the point that it left the Heartless with no time to even defend itself. Baymax slammed into the creature first at full-force, pushing it back considerably towards the edge of the bridge, but a coordinated attack between the trio was what ultimately ended up finishing the monster off entirely. A powerful wind spell from Donald and a well-timed shield toss from Goofy, paired with a sharp, succinct strike from Sora's Keyblade all succeeded in not only knocking the Heartless back once more, but this time, over the edge of the bridge entirely. Unable to remain steady, the creature toppled over the guard railing, falling hard and fast until it finally splashed into the waters of the bay down below, defeated.

From there, clearing out the remaining Heartless was quick and easy work for the collective group. Though the creatures had left a bit of damage, but fortunately nobody had been harmed in the attack, something that Hiro and Baymax made sure of through a quick sweeping flyover across the bridge. Once it was over, however, they came back in to reconvene with the trio, all of them glad to finally have a much-needed peaceful moment for proper introductions.

"Thanks for your help," Hiro hopped off Baymax just as the robot came to land. "You guys really had some great moves out there."

"So did you two!" Sora grinned enthusiastically. "That whole flying fist thing was awesome!"

"Heh, yeah, rocket fists," Hiro held a proud smile as he looked to his robot companion. "Designed 'em myself. Same with the rest of the team's armor. Oh! Speaking of which, they're definitely gonna wanna meet you guys. C'mon!"

"Sure!" Sora agreed, eager to meet the rest of Hiro and Baymax's team. However, he did stop short upon hearing Donald pointedly clear his throat behind him.

"Sora…" the magician groaned, tapping his foot impatiently.

"Didn't ya say we were 'busy'?" Goofy asked with a small, knowing smirk.

"Oh yeah!" Sora exclaimed before turning back to Hiro. "Er-sorry. We're actually here to look for something. It's a Key, looks like this." He called upon the latest Key they'd claimed, its shimmering, otherworldly appearance instantly catching Hiro off guard. "Either of you guys know where we might be able to find something like it around here?"

"Whoa…" Hiro looked over the Key in apt fascination. "Well, I-I've never seen tech like _that _before…"

"Tech?" Sora frowned, confused. "You mean computers and stuff? Uh… I don't think the Keys are anything like that. They're more like… um… do we wanna say magic?"

"You just did," Donald deadpanned, unamused.

"Magic?" Hiro raised a skeptical eyebrow. Even so, he didn't make any further comment on such a seemingly odd claim as he turned to Baymax for answers instead. "What do you say, buddy? Got any ideas about any of this 'Key' business?"

Baymax looked to Hiro inquisitively for a moment before offering the trio his sparse report. _"My scanners are unable to identify anything with an energy signature similar to your 'Key' in the immediate vicinity."_

The trio let out a shared disappointed sigh at this, but even so, Sora was quick to perk back up from it. "Ah well. It's not like it took us just a matter of minutes to find the first three either, right?"

"It sure didn't," Goofy agreed. "Guess we oughta be getting used to this routine by now, huh?"

"Even if it's a routine that _always _takes too long thanks to _somebody _getting sidetracked all the time…" Donald grumbled, sending Sora a critical glance.

"Who? Me?" Sora asked in faux offense. "Oh, c'mon, I _never _get sidetracked. Anyway, everybody get in close," he grinned as he pulled the Gummiphone out once again. "With those Heartless are out of the way, now's the perfect chance to _finally _snap a photo of the city!"

"Speakin' of sidetracked," Goofy chuckled as Donald simply crossed his arms, annoyed by the Keybearer's usual antics.

"Hm… you know…" Hiro spoke up thoughtfully. "Since you guys helped us fight off those monsters, maybe we could help you find that Key in return."

"Really?" Sora asked brightly.

"Yeah, it's the least we can do," Hiro nodded warmly. "Though… I don't know if I buy the whole 'magic' thing, but I'm sure if we can figure something out. Don't wanna brag or anything, but me and the rest of the team _do _sort of have _something _of a reputation for being geniuses. Plus, Baymax is pretty handy too."

"_Yes, I have two hands," _Baymax raised both of them up to show the group.

"That's… just an expression, Baymax," Hiro laughed, patting his robot's arm as he began to lead the way down the bridge. "Now, come on!" he called to the trio, who this time, were all quick to follow suit. Especially in the hopes that the more helping hands they had in searching for the Key, the quicker and most importantly easier a time they'd have finding it. "The rest of the team is waiting."

* * *

Though a team name such as Big Hero 6 certainly carried an air of epic importance to it, ironically enough, their base of operations was merely a humble garage connected to a quaint cafe owned by Hiro's aunt. Still, it was sizable enough to fit everyone comfortably inside of it, from the trio, to Hiro and Baymax, to the other four members of the team, all of whom were currently crowded around the computer in the corner, reading an article that had just been posted on the most recent attack to hit the city. An article that didn't exactly paint the team of young heros in the best light as it pointed out their inability to clear the Heartless out of the city as a whole.

"Not cool," Go Go huffed with a sour scowl, having fully recovered from her previous injuries.

"People like spectacle," the other female of the group, a tall, blonde girl clad in bright pink armor, shook her head. "Not the truth."

"Yeah, who needs quality reporting when you can just make stuff up?" another member of the team, a steadily built young man in similar green armor, said quite sullenly.

"I don't get it!" the most peculiar addition to the group, who apparently seemed to be some sort of three-eyed lizard creature, piped up. "I mean, didn't they see how _awesome _we were!? Sure, those things landed a couple of good hits, but we had chem-balls, laser hands, and fire-breathing!"

"Well, it didn't really matter," the taller girl let out a small, disappointed sigh. "They still beat us."

"Where'd they come from anyway?" Go Go asked, hands on her hips.

"Well, why don't we ask the guys who _actually _stopped 'em?" the green-clad young glanced over at the trio standing nearby.

"That's right," the taller girl offered them a friendly smile. "You never introduced us, Hiro."

"Oh yeah," Hiro perked up, going over to stand with the rest of his team. "Well, uh, this… is the gang! That's Go Go," he began, going down the line of his friends. For her part, Go Go simply offered the trio a rather dry, stoic nod of greeting, a far cry from the much more amicable smile the next team member sent them. "He's Wasabi-"

"How ya doin'?" Wasabi waved coolly as Hiro continued.

"That's Honey Lemon-"

"Hello there!" Honey Lemon greeted with a bright, chipper smile.

"And-" Hiro stopped short just shy of introducing the last member of the group, who had already stepped forward to do so himself.

Needless to say the "monster" caught the trio quite off guard, startling them as boldly lept forward to say hello. "I'm Fred. Do not be alarmed!" he proclaimed zealously as he tossed the top of his costume up to reveal the casually grinning young man underneath. "This is _not _my real body."

"Oh good," Sora let out a sigh of relief. "For a second, I thought this monster was the one who-" Before the Keybearer could say anything that might break the fragile world order, Donald and Goofy were quick to silence him as they rushed in to cover his mouth. The members of Big Hero 6 stood by in confusion as they watched this sudden scuffle, at least until Hiro spoke up to introduce them.

"These three are Sora, Donald, and Goofy, the, uh…" he trailed off, unsure of how to refer to the trio collectively. Sora, however, was quick to fill in with a newfound team name off the cuff, one that was more than a little inspired by Big Hero 6 themselves.

"Keyblade Hero 3!" he exclaimed boldly, striking a brazen heroic pose. Donald and Goofy joined him, largely caught up in the same excitable spirit as their young companion was. Even if their bravado was rather lost on the other team of heroes who looked to them blankly all the while.

"_I am detecting minute contractions in your faces and shoulders," _Baymax finally broke the awkward silence as he looked over his teammates. _"Perhaps due to the garage's brisk temperature. To remedy that, I will give each of you a hug and warm you with my internal heat source."_

"Er, you… really don't have to do that, Bayma-"

Hiro quickly cut himself off as his teammates all rushed forward, piling up on the robot as to enjoy the aura of comforting warmth he was putting off. "Sorry, Hiro," Honey Lemon chuckled as she and Go Go leaned up against the huggable bot. "But Baymax's hugs are hard to turn down."

"Yeah, especially after the beating we just took from those creatures," Wasabi added with a contented sigh.

"It's like a mini-ray of sunshine healing my broken soul!" Fred cried a bit overdramatically.

"What?" Go Go looked over at him incredulously.

"Uh, I'm talking about a heroic second-wind here. Duh."

"Oh, I'll show you a second wind..." Go Go scowled, already cracking her knuckles until Honey Lemon mindfully stopped her just in time.

At the same time, the trio remained on the sidelines to convene amongst themselves. Or, more accurately, for Donald to scold Sora over his rather blatant, though somewhat usual, disregard of the world order. "Why did you call us _that_?!" the magician huffed, far from fond of the team name he'd come up with.

"Sora, you know Donald and I don't have Keyblades," Goofy pointed out a with a confused frown.

"So? We _are _heroes, right?" Sora countered defensively.

"Not _here, _we're not!" the magician snapped, annoyed.

This argument was quick to die out however as the members of Big Hero 6 turned their collective attention back over to their trio of guests. "The monsters," Go Go's tone was serious as she sized the three of them up. "Tell us how you managed to take them down."

"Well, they're called the Heartless," Sora made sure to be mindful of maintaining order this time around, largely to avoid setting his companions off once more. "And they're drawn to the darkness inside of people's hearts."

"Ooh! _Now _we're talkin'!" Fred exclaimed. "Light vs. darkness! Classic conflict!"

"Would you calm down, Fred?" Wasabi huffed, irritated. "This isn't something out of one of your comics or video games. This is _serious_."

"Very serious," Honey Lemon solemnly agreed. "They're putting the entire city in danger and we don't have any way to fight them."

"Wait, so we're just gonna give up?" Go Go was clearly not keen on the idea based on her bitter expression alone.

"_With our current skill set," _Baymax spoke up. _"My analysis places our chances of success at 0.0000-"_

"Yeah, we get it, Baymax," Hiro interrupted with a disappointed frown.

"Hey, don't sweat it," Sora encouraged the dejected group. "The three of us can go take care of the Heartless for you. Right, you guys?" he asked, glancing back at his companions. Both Donald and Goofy readily nodded, still mindful of their current objective of finding the next Key as much as Sora was. However, if this world was indeed under the palpable threat of attacking Heartless, then for the sake of the countless innocents residing within it, as well as their new friends, that objective would just have to wait.

And yet, even despite the trio's kind willingness to help where they couldn't, Hiro in particular wasn't ready to accept his team's defeat just yet. "Wait," he spoke up, resolved. "We're going too."

"It's ok," Donald reassured as Goofy nodded in agreement. "We've got it."

"We've got plenty of experience takin' care of Heartless, after all. No need to worry 'bout us!"

"That's… not it," Hiro shook his head. "We _have _to help. My brother would have." This brave sentiment was one that all of the other members of Big Hero 6 readily shared, each of them determined to do their part, even despite the obvious danger. "Not to mention," Hiro continued with a smile as he stepped forward. "We _did _volunteer to help you guys look for that Key of yours, and… we _can't _really do that hanging back here, can we?"

"You volunteered us for _what _now?" Wasabi asked, confused.

"_Sora, Donald, and Goofy are searching for a magical Key," _Baymax informed factually.

"Ah ah ah," Hiro whispered to his robotic companion, still somewhat skeptical. "_Supposedly _magical."

"_A _supposedly _magical Key," _the robot corrected evenly.

"Ohoho! An epic battle of good against evil _along _with a magical macguffin hunt?!" Fred bounced up and down excitedly. "This just keeps getting better and better!"

"Well, we're definitely happy to help you find this… um, Key, in any way we can," Honey Lemon conquered warmly, even if she was still a bit out of the loop along with the others.

"Thanks, you guys," Sora smiled, glad to have so much help this time around. Help that would not only go a long way toward finding a way to gain this world's Key, but ward off any Heartless, or worse yet, any possible Organization members who might try to obtain it first.

"Glad we're all on the same page, buuuut…. Don't we need a plan?" Wasabi held a concerned frown. "We can't just go out there looking for some Key with all those monsters we, _again_, can't even fight running around all over the place. I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm _not _too crazy about the idea of getting tossed around by those guys again."

"So we'll train up!" Fred threw his monstrous mask back on. "When heroes are brought low, they get new powers. And those powers are what always leads to the ultimate victory in the third and final act! Which means… it's _shugyo _time!"

"What, did you read that in _Geek's Quarterly_?" Go Go deadpanned, rolling her eyes.

"Fred's actually not wrong," Hiro said with a thoughtful, growing grin as he turned back toward the trio. "I may have an idea…"

Despite this newfound idea, Hiro didn't exactly go into too much detail about it as he instead got to work, logging onto his computer as he began crafting out a new design. To give him ample time and space to focus on his inventing, the trio and the members of Big Hero 6 took to chatting amongst each other instead, both sides getting to know each other better in the process.

"So, you guys have already got three of these Key things, huh?" Wasabi asked as Sora cycled through the small collection they'd gathered so far. "Then what's the rush to find one more?"

"Well, actually, there's 13 of them," Sora let their most recently-found Key disappear. "And, um… why we're looking for them is… kind of a _long _story. Let's just say it's _really _important that we find them all, and fast."

"Ooooh! Lemme guess!" Fred cut in eagerly. "The fate of the world as we know it depends on you guys getting all thirteen before some _dastardly _villain can, right? Riiiiight?"

"Gee, that's… pretty much it," Goofy let out a small chuckle.

"So where do you find these things anyway?" Go Go asked, dryly curious. "Can't imagine they'd just be lying around anywhere."

"Uh… w-we've… found them in all sorts of places," Sora ventured, making note of the sharp, warning glance Donald was sending his way. "But they only show up whenever really strong emotions are being felt."

"Emotions?" Honey Lemon inquired, intrigued. "Like what?"

"Well, the first one was friendship," Sora listed. "Pretty sure the second one was fear? And the one we just got a while ago was… I dunno, compassion, I think? Still, we really have no idea what could make it appear this time around…"

"An emotionally-driven mystery," Fred nodded, understanding. "One that'll no-doubt lead to an action-packed adventure filled with peaks and valleys of _crushing _failures, _blazing _victories, and really _deep _self-discovery. That's a classic hero's journey right there. And I'm totally _here _for it, this kind of stuff is my _jam_!"

"Again, Fred," Wasabi deadpanned. "This. Isn't. A._ Comic Book! _Or a video game! Or one of those cinematic universes you're always going on about."

"Pfft, says _you_."

"_Emotions are biological, instinctive states of mind," _Baymax offered his advice to the trio. _"They are often derived from one's circumstances or relationships with others and they serve to influence behavior or decision-making. Since emotions have a strong impact on overall health and wellbeing, I am programmed to detect the chemical reactions that create them. That way, I can take the emotional state of my patients into account to provide them with the best medical treatment possible."_

Though he didn't fully understand all of the odds and ends of this intricate explanation, Sora couldn't help but smirk slightly upon hearing it all the same. "You make them sound so… _sciencey,_" he let out a small, good-natured laugh. "But I think emotions are a lot simpler than that. They're just… whatever your heart is feeling, you know?"

"_That is technically untrue," _Baymax corrected obliviously. _"Emotions are actually processed in the temporal lobe of the brian."_

By now, Sora was all but completely lost as he looked to the other members of Big Hero 6, all of whom knew well just how amusingly literal Baymax could be. "Uh… anyone wanna help me out here?"

Before any of the others could do so, however, Hiro interjected, joining the group once more to present the product of his idea, or rather his latest invention to them all. "It's done!" He held up the piece of tech he'd devised: a simple, yet sharply-designed visor-looking device. A device that he handed off to, of all people, Sora.

Given that he had never been particularly well-versed in anything highly technological, Sora didn't know quite what to make of the device as he carefully took it, looking over it until he found a small inscription on the side labeling exactly what it was. "'AR device'?" he read, completely unfamiliar with the term.

"Yeah," Hiro nodded, clearly proud of his work. "Pretty cool, huh? It creates a CG overlay that augments your vision. While you wear it, this device sees everything you do and logs it."

"Uh… huh," Sora nodded, pretending to know what any of that meant.

Fortunately, Hiro seemed to pick up on Sora's rather obvious explanation as he offered a much simpler explanation instead. "You… put it on your face."

"Ohhh…" Understanding this time around, Sora slid the visor over his eyes, though as soon as he did, he was met with a disconcerting sight. "Heartless!" he gasped, his Keyblade flashing into his grip as he quickly moved to protectively stand between the singular shadow and the others. "Donald! Goofy!" he called to his companions, who both simply offered him an absolutely bewildered glance, apparently not understanding his sudden alarm. "C'mon! We've gotta-"

"Sora," Donald interjected with a worried frown. "Are you ok?"

"There's no Heartless here," Goofy assured, just as concerned.

"W-what?" Sora looked between the pair incredulously. "But… how do you not see it? It's _right _there!"

"Whoa!" Hiro exclaimed just as Sora began to raise his weapon to attack the creature. "Sora, chill. Just take the AR device off."

Bewildered, Sora did so, only for the Heartless he'd seen to inexplicably disappear entirely. Taken aback, he lowered the visor once more and sure enough, there the shadow was, at least until he lifted the AR device once again. "Wow…" he mused, fascinated as he tested the device out a few more times. "I have no idea how you're doing this, but it's _so _cool!"

"Thanks," Hiro said with a humble grin. "But so far, the map data only covers San Fransokyo. I need to expand it."

"Ok, ok, cool, AR device, yeah, awesome," Fred spoke up somewhat impatiently. "_Now _can we _shugyo_?!"

"Not yet, Fred," Wasabi shook his head. "He's still learning."

"Fortunately, we've done training just like this before," Honey Lemon said with an upbeat smile. "Sora, all you'll need to do is run through some courses Hiro scripted. Like a fun little minigame!"

"We'll put a tracer on your movements," Go Go began, familiar with the process as well. "So we can-"

"_Shugyo! Shugyo! Shugyo!" _Fred cheered, barely able to contain his growing excitement as he hopped around the garage.

"Ugh… so we can _shugyo_…"

"I guess _shugyo's _like training," Goofy whispered to Donald, aside. "That's a good idea. We could prob'ly use the practice."

"Speak for yourself," the magician huffed, crossing his arms.

"So… let me get this straight: you guys wanna 'trace' how we fight?" Sora asked, genuinely intrigued by the concept, even if he didn't fully understand how it worked. "Why?"

"Well, as far as I can tell, you guys are the only ones who are able to actually beat those 'Heartless' monsters," Hiro explained. "Plus, from what I've seen, you three have some pretty sick moves in a fight."

"_Hiro did not mean that your combat abilities are physically ill," _Baymax noted. _"That was just an expression."_

"Wow... " Sora grinned, somewhat flattered. "Thanks! Then again, our moves always _have _been pretty impressive."

"Maybe _our _moves have," Donald countered, raising an eyebrow. "_You've _still got a lot of catching up to do, remember?"

"Ugh… don't remind me…" Sora sighed, knowing all too well that his strength _still _wasn't exactly up to the level he knew it should have been. And yet, he did still find a bit of solace as he silently reminded himself of something that could certainly contribute to regaining that strength. Namely a newfound power, one that felt immense and exciting, that he'd only barely _begin _to explore. And one that he still wasn't quite ready to openly reveal just yet.

"I'm sure we'll still learn a lot by studying your skills," Hiro said, turning to his computer as the other members of the team opened the garage door to head out. "Especially when it comes to dealing with those monsters. Now… you wanna hit the town to try it out?"

"Yes!" Fred eagerly shouted before anyone else could. "_Shugyo_ time!"

"Fred, I swear," Wasabi sullenly followed Fred out of the garage. "If you scream _shugyo _in my ear _one _more time, I… I don't know _what _I'll do, but it _won't _be pretty!"

"Cool it, both of you," Go Go pushed her way past both of the boys stoically. "We've got work to do."

"But nobody ever said that work can't be _fun _too!" Honey Lemon cheerily chimed in, running to join the others.

"_I can also shugyo by installing new combat data," _Baymax pointed out as Hiro helped him suit up. Of course, as out of the loop as they were with most of the robot's rather technical explanations, Sora, Donald, and Goofy exchanged a confused glance as they also began to leave, unsure of what he meant.

"Don't worry," Hiro interjected with a small laugh as he waved them off. "This whole, uh, _shugyo _thing will make sense once you're actually out there doing it."

"Oh thank goodness," Sora sighed, allayed, though he still muttered to his companions as they walked out. "At least _something _will finally make sense around here," he said, eliciting a dry look from the magician and an amused chuckle from the captain. "I'm still trying to figure out what in the world 'AR' means…"

* * *

By the time both collective teams had set out for their _shugyo_, night had fallen over San Fransokyo. Still, that hardly meant the city was any less bustling as cars continued down its busy streets and the town's many towering buildings were brightly illuminated in their bold electric colors. After a quick, scoping flyover of the massive city, one of those tall buildings was where Baymax dropped everyone off to properly begin their group training.

"_Ok, guys," _Hiro addressed everyone through the intercom system the entire team, as well as the VR headset Sora was wearing, were all linked to. _"Let's keep this simple. Follow the course and take out any monsters you see along the way. I'll be here to help you out remotely from the garage. Good luck!"_

"Right!" everyone agreed in resolved unison, none of them hesitating to set out and begin.

Since they were more familiar with the city and its layout, the members of Big Hero 6 led the way, each of them using their own unique abilities to propel themselves off of that first rooftop onto the next. Still, Sora, Donald, and Goofy weren't too far behind them, their weapons equally ready for the first sigh of potential trouble. And sure enough, it didn't take long for that trouble to show up as Heartless, _actual _Heartless as opposed to digital ones, soon began to materialize along their path.

As ill-equipped as they currently were to fight such creatures, the members of Big Hero 6 hesitated as a horde of shadows blocked the next leg of the course. From his monitor back at the garage, Hiro spotted them to, gearing his software up to accurately capture whatever might happen next. _"Hey, Sora! Mind taking care of these guys for us?" _

"Not a problem," Sora confidently swung his Keyblade to attack. Likewise, Donald and Goofy boldly followed him, all three of them quickly working through the swath of shadows with relative ease. The members of Big Hero 6 stood by on their higher perches, watching the trio's moves with rapt fascination all the while. And as they emerged as the victors from this small skirmish, the trio set off at the head of the group, the team of young heroes eagerly following them this time so they could see more.

"Yeah!" Fred cheered as he sprung over to the next building. "Now _this _is what I call a night patrol!"

"C-couldn't we do this on the ground?" Wasabi cling onto Baymax tightly as the robot gave him, Honey Lemon, and Go Go a boost to the same perch.

"Oh, come on, Wasabi!" Honey Lemon laughed brightly. "This wouldn't be anywhere near as exciting on the ground, right, Go Go?"

"You got me," Go Go said, finally cracking a small grin.

"Um… where to next?" Sora stopped short on the edge of a building, unsure of where to go from here.

"_Straight ahead_," Hiro instructed. _"You guys are doing great!"_

"Straight ahead?" Donald dubiously glanced down at what awaited them below. "But that's…"

"A long way down…" Goofy finished just as apprehensively.

"So?" Sora shrugged, unconcerned. "We've seen longer. Now, c'mon!" Without even skipping a beat, he took a runningleap off of the roof, plunging freely to a lower building far below, much to the bewilderment of the majority of the group still watching from above.

"Whoa…" Wasabi said, somewhat alarmed. "I don't know if he's _really _brave-"

"Or just plain dumb," Go Go finished, equally baffled.

"_Both_," Donald deadpanned, shaking his head at the Sora's usual brazenness.

"_Falling from exceptional heights can often lead to physical injury," _Baymax pointed out, poising his wings to perform a speedy rescue. And yet, it didn't seem to be needed as Sora somehow managed to land squarely on the large, decorative red ball fixed to the building below.

"Gawrsh, guess it doesn't for Sora," Goofy remarked, offering the others a small grin.

And yet, Sora barely had a chance to steady himself after his landing before the ground seemed to give way to him entirely. Or rather, as the orb he was standing on suddenly began to tilt off of the building altogether. As it fell, he fell with it, a much shorter distance down to the street this time as he managed to land on it once more, struggling to stay atop it as it started rolling forward on its own accord. It took a moment, but eventually, not only did he properly manage to regain his balance, but he also gained control of the ball itself as he ran on top of it, doing his best to avoid causing any damage to the surrounding city as he did so.

"_Ok, I… didn't program this," _Hiro remarked incredulously through his intercom. _"But you can handle it. Just improvise."_

"Improvise, got it!" Sora agreed, seeing a perfect opportunity to do just that as he spotted a group of emerging Heartless just ahead. Taking advantage of the new 'weapon' he had at his disposal, he rolled the ball over to them, easily running through the crowd of creatures before they even had a chance to attack. The orb made easy work of the Heartless, crushing and defeating them in droves until they were cleared out in a matter of minutes. And as soon as they were, Sora left the ball behind, making sure it was in a secure, safe place before he got back to following the course as outlined on his VR device.

However, he was far from the only one doing so, as a familiar face suddenly skated swiftly past him as he ran down the road. "Glad you could finally join us on the ground," Go Go called back to him, the slightest air of teasing in her tone. "Think you can keep up?"

"I can try," Sora replied with a wry grin as he summoned his Keyblade once more. With his weapon in hand, he picked up his speed before lunging forward, passing Go Go as he latched the tip of his Keyblade onto a nearby streetlight. Using his already immense momentum, he used his weapon to swing around the post, launching himself upward toward the adjacent towering building. Go Go skidded to a stop, admittedly impressed and perhaps even a bit dumbfounded as she watched Sora free-run up the side of that building, deftly knocking aside any Heartless that happened to show up in the process.

"Interesting…" she noted, wondering if, with the speed offered to her by her own megalev discs, she could do the same incredible feat. "Gravity _not _binding…"

At the same time, Sora continued steadily making his way up the building, though all the while, a persistent pack of Heartless continued pursuing him. For a moment, he ignored them, largely for the sake of making it to the top of the building, where Wasabi stood by, trying to tackle the Heartless swarming and having little luck in doing so. Still, he got a front row seat to Sora taking another high leap, shooting off several successive fire spells at the winged Heartless bombarding him. The magic hit its marks squarely, defeating them and allowing him to move on as Wasabi reached a newfound, pertinent realization.

"Hey, wait…" he grinned down at his pair of plasma blades. "My laser hands… can be _projectiles_!" He lashed out excitedly with his newfound 'projectiles', using them to clear out the remaining Heartless on the rooftop.

Meanwhile, Honey Lemon had taken up a perch on a nearby building, shying away out of sight from the Heartless horde invading it out of fear that her chem balls wouldn't be enough to tackle them. That is, until she spotted Sora rushing by just below her current vantage point. Largely forgetting about the ongoing simulation and any eyes that might be watching, he tossed his Keyblade forward at the Heartless, leaving himself seemingly defenseless, though only for the briefest of seconds. For as his weapon flew out of his grip, a familiar burst of darkness and light bloomed around his now-free hand, magic that he didn't hesitate to send flying right after his Keyblade. The contrasting power hit the Kingdom Key in a heavy burst, one that tore through the Heartless and cleared them out almost instantly, allowing Sora to reclaim his weapon and continue onward with ease.

"Ooh!" Honey Lemon exclaimed, amazed by what she'd just seen as she looked down to her own chem purse. "Change the weapon, change the attack!" Inspired by this newfound idea, she rushed off on her own, ready to put it into action.

Exhilarated by the strange, yet special magic swirling around both of his hands now, Sora made sure to put it to good use as he encountered yet another round of Heartless. Initially, he evaded them, dashing up to the top of yet another building to put some space between himself and the creatures. Then, after luring them in, he let loose, launching wave after wave of light and darkness at them until they all inevitably fell away in defeat.

This barrage of contrasting energy wasn't lost on Fred as he stood, witnessing it from his spot just a bit lower down on the building. "Whoahoh!" he exclaimed, awestruck as he considered his own abilities. "Light and darkness… diametrically opposed, just like fire and ice… or so we _thought_!" Eager to put his daring plan to the test, Fred lept away, hot on the search for the nearest Heartless he could try his new flaming cold (or rather, icy hot) attack on first.

With all of the Heartless in the immediate vicinity cleared out, Sora finally came to a stop atop the final building highlighted in the AR course, finally giving himself a much-needed breather after the intense run he'd just had. It didn't take long for Donald and Goofy to join him having cleared through the course themselves, though as soon as he spotted them coming, Sora made sure to shake his hands clear of any remaining traces of dark and light magic, just in case.

"See? I told you guys." He flashed his companions a confident grin. "_My _moves are _still _impressive."

"Well, ya sure have come a long way since Olympus," Goofy held a proud grin. "Right, Donald?"

"Mm, I _guess…_" Donald begrudgingly admitted, though it was clear from the small smile he was trying to suppress that he was pleased with Sora's progress too.

"_Alright, that should be enough data," _Hiro interjected through the intercom. _"Thanks, Sora. I think you sparked some new ideas."_

"Great!" Sora grinned brightly. "I'm glad I could-" He stopped short, caught off guard as the intercom channel was suddenly filled with the overlapping pitches of abundant newfound ideas from the various members of Big Hero 6.

"_Yeah! Hiro, I think there's a way to-"_

"_I figured out that we can-"_

"_Did you see how-"_

"_All we need to do is upgrade our-"_

This excited buzz of various plans and proposals continued for quite some time, each of the young heroes confident that their new tactics would succeed. An outcome that they all hoped for, especially for the sake of protecting the city they all called home from a threat none of them had ever really faced before. A threat that they faced a humiliating defeat against once before. But, if all of their new ideas truly panned out, then next time they faced them, they were certain, things would be different.

* * *

With all their new tactics in mind, everyone got to work on bringing them to life almost as soon as they reconvened back at Hiro's garage. Hiro himself was by far the busiest among them, already eagerly working on a barrage of new and improved designs and upgrades to his teammate's armor, all based on the copious amount of pertinent data gathered from the simulation.

Still, that didn't mean none of the others had any work to do. As technologically adept as they all also were, the members of Big Hero 6 all set out to tinker with their own weapons in various ways. And even if they weren't as scientifically-minded as the team of young heroes were, Sora, Donald, and Goofy all still tried to help out with moving those upgrades along the best they could. By assisting Honey Lemon as she developed a few new types of chem balls, helping Wasabi test out his new pair of plasma blades, even offering a few base suggestions for additions to Fred's suit and changes to Go Go's megalev discs, the trio made good use of what they knew about the Heartless to help their new friends better fight them. A goal that Hiro was confident they'd accomplish as he updated Baymax with a brand-new battle chip, one that was fully loaded with more than enough moves to face the Heartless head on.

"That… should do it," Hiro smiled in satisfaction as he slipped the new chip into Baymax's data port. "Oh, and Sora, Donald, Goofy, you guys are gonna _love _this. I remembered what you said about that Key you're looking for showing up because of strong emotions, so I downloaded another new feature onto that chip. Tell 'em all about it, Baymax."

The robot allowed said data to properly download onto his system before explaining it to the curious trio. _"I can now scan for and detect significant pulses of emotion on a wide scale in order to ascertain the location of the Key."_

"Oh, cool!" Sora exclaimed, initially enthusiastic. "And, uh… what does that mean, exactly?"

"It just means that Baymax can help you look for the Key," Hiro chuckled. "I _wanted _to have his scanner actually pinpoint where it is directly, but… that was kind of hard to do since none of us really know what it's made of. So I figured the whole 'emotion' route would be the next best thing. Now, I can't guarantee that it'll work, but-"

"But it's still really great that you thought of it all the same," Sora said warmly, Donald and Goofy mirroring his appreciation with affirmative nods. "And I'm sure it'll work. Thanks, Hiro."

"Hey, thank _you_," Hiro said, genuinely grateful as he motioned to the rest of his team. "Without you, we never would have gotten the data we need to stand a chance against those monsters. But now, I think we're finally ready to face them on our own."

"Um… speaking of which…" Honey Lemon spoke up, fretfully looking over to the computer as a timely news alert began to play.

"_We interrupt your scheduled program to bring you this breaking news. Moments ago, the city's South District was attacked by numerous unidentified creatures." _A feed of that part of the section of the city began to pop up, and sure enough, a large horde of frenzied Heartless were swarming through it, ruthlessly going after any innocent civilian unfortunate enough to cross their path. _"Witnesses describe losing sight of victims during the mayhem. Many also said they saw strange, floating heart symbols in the vicinity of the missing victims. City police are urging citizens to stay at home. For those just joining us minutes ago, the South District was attacked by-"_

Hiro shut the stream off, turning to his team and the trio with a stern sense of resolve to save the city before it was too late. While the others all shared that resolve, much like Hiro, Sora was the most adamant about it, ever determined to protect innocent people from the substantial threat the Heartless always posed. Which was why both of them looked to the rest of the group one more time, more than ready to put their new skills to the rest as they both proclaimed that goal in the same sort of daring unison: "Go time!"

* * *

San Fransokyo's South District was the city's busy business sector, where commercial commerce thrived thanks to the many large companies that called the district home. However, the towering office buildings that composed it, as well as any poor passerby caught between them, were all currently in jeopardy thanks to dangerous creatures bombarding them. And while a mass number of panicked civilians frantically fled from that danger to find some form of safe shelter, another group brazenly ran directly toward them in the hopes of putting a stop to their destructive attack instead.

In order to cover more ground, the trio and the members of Big Hero 6 had decided to split up, with Go Go, Wasabi, Honey Lemon, and Fred working to get civilians to safety while protecting them from any Heartless they might encounter along the way. At the same time, Baymax accompanied Sora, Donald, and Goofy as they rushed to find the main mass of Heartless, something that didn't take very long as they happened to run into a rather large group of them largely on accident.

"There they are!" Goofy called, already raising his shield.

"Let's get 'em!" Donald shouted, his staff ready to fire off a starting spell.

Likewise, Sora readied his Keyblade to enter the fray, though just before he could, Baymax stopped him short with his most recent report. _"My new emotional scanner is picking up immense amounts of distress and fear from nearby civilians. Are these the kind of emotions that can assist you in finding the Key?"_

"Uh… I don't think so…" Sora frowned, knowing he'd already claimed a previous Key from feelings of fear. "But thanks for the help anyway, Baymax."

"_Understood. __In that case, I will continue scanning for strong emotions that are _not _fear."_

Sora nodded, somewhat amused but also quite impressed by just how dutiful the robot always proved to be. However, he still wasn't able to join his companions in facing the Heartless right away as Hiro reached out to him this time, once again through the AR device's intercom. _"Sora, above you!" _he warned, directing to the top of a particularly tall building dead ahead. _"I'm picking up some kind of threat."_

"Yeah, I see it too," Sora said, noticing the strange burst of unknown movement. "I'll check it out. You guys have things covered down here?" he asked Donald and Goofy before he set out.

"We sure do!" Goofy confidently assured as he tossed his shield through a group of smaller Heartless.

"Question is, do _you _have things covered without _us_?" Donald asked with something of a teasing smirk.

"_Very _funny," Sora shot back just as dryly. "But I think I can handle this one."

"_Sora, I can assist you in reaching the top of the building," _Baymax let his wings out as his thrusters propelled him just a bit off the ground. _"Flying makes me a better healthcare companion."_

"It sure does!" Sora exclaimed, excited by the opportunity that he readily took by hopping onto the robot's back. "Let's go, Baymax!"

Baymax did just that, immediately taking off and rocketing toward the sky at an incredible speed. Despite essentially having to hold onto the robot for dear life all the while, Sora couldn't help but let out an exhilarated cheer amidst the flight, one that Baymax pointed out as they neared the top of the targeted building.

"_I am sensing that you are experiencing increased adrenaline and serotonin levels, which are often associated with feelings of excitement and joy," _the robot noted, making himself be heard above the upwardly rushing wind. _"Are these emotions connected to the Key you are searching for?"_

"Who knows?" Sora shrugged with a light smile. "Could be. I guess we'll just have to keep going and find out!"

By now, the pair had finally cleared the top of the building, though a quick fly-over revealed exactly what sort of threat awaited atop it. A trio of strong, armored Heartless were patrolling it, though the moment they caught sight of the pair hovering high above their heads, they were thrown into an instant angered frenzy. With a single nod exchanged between the two however, Sora and Baymax dove in to take them on, utilizing their midair advantage well as they began landing a series of coordinated team attacks on the brutish trio. Between Baymax's aimed and heavy blows and a mix of Sora utilizing both magic and his Keyblade in between, the Heartless could do little to stop them, even with their sharp, spear-like weapons. Whatever blows the pair did sustain, Baymax's sturdy armor took the brunt of, allowing them both to sweep through the unruly group with relative ease.

"All right!" Sora cheered as they took the final Heartless down, allowing them both to safely land on top of the building. "Piece of cake. Looks like those new moves are really paying off, huh?"

"_Yes_," Baymax agreed. _"The shugyo is proving to be very effective."_

"_Wait, Sora!" _Hiro suddenly warned through the intercom, apparently alarmed. _"Something _big _is coming your way. Everyone else is already on the ground fighting it; you guys oughta go join them."_

"Gotcha," Sora nodded, ready for the next leg of the battle as he boarded Baymax's back once again. "We'll take care of it!"

Without wasting any time, the pair took off, zooming in low from their previously high perch to navigate the surrounding area for any additional Heartless activity. Fortunately, Hiro already took the liberty of uploading the proper coordinates to both Baymax's scanner as well as Sora's AR device, which made easy work in locating the creature they were looking for. Said creature was a large, lumbering Heartless, one that towered over the members of Big Hero 6 as well as Donald and Goofy as they all teamed up to fight it together. Sora and Baymax were quick to join that fight as they landed on the street alongside the others, seeming to set the monstrous Heartless off even more as it let out a fierce, booming roar.

"_That thing's massive!" _Hiro exclaimed over the intercom, tracking the creature back at the garage. _"Stop it or it's gonna wreck the city!"_

"On it," Go Go nodded as she and the other members of Big Hero 6 poised themselves to attack.

"Uh, guys?" Wasabi took in a fearful breath as he noticed the group of monsters materializing not too far away. "W-we've got even more company!"

"Then we'll start small and work our way up from there," Honey Lemon said, already using her purse to craft a few of her newer chem balls.

"Yeah! Let's line 'em up and knock 'em down!" Fred daringly lept into action.

It didn't take long for the others to do the same, everyone fanning out through the immediate vicinity to face their foes squarely. With the smaller Heartless as numerous as they were, the members of Big Hero 6 followed through on their plan to fight them first, leaving the larger monster for Baymax and the trio, at least for now. And sure enough, their newfound tactics against fighting the Heartless were working wonders for them, something that Go Go put into practice first as she skated onto an adjacent street, allowing a pack of flying Heartless to tail her all the while.

"Just try and catch me," she challenged them with a small smirk as she leaned low on her megalev discs. The speed she gathered was more than enough to allow her to launch herself high onto the side of the nearest building, deftly skating up its edge as the Heartless continued to follow her. At least until she happened to turn and send the pair of discs on her arms flying straight at them. The weapons cut through the creatures that had remained grounded first, though as they swiftly gilded back toward her, the winged Heartless also met their ends in turn. Satisfied that this strategy was a winner, Go Go sped back down to the ground, ready to try it out once more.

Several blocks away, a series of plasma blasts catapulted their way into a similar crowd of flying Heartless, with Wasabi keeping himself grounded atop a shorter building while he fired his projectiles off in a rapid succession. His aim was proving to be less than accurate however as the creatures always seemed to dodge his attacks, much to his growing frustration.

"Oh, c'mon!" he groaned, annoyed. "Stay still, will ya?!"

"I've got an idea!" Honey Lemon ran past him with a new chem ball in hand. Not skipping a beat, she tossed it at the horde, and the blast that followed concealed the entire group in a layer of thick, incomprehensible fog.

"Hey!" Wasabi protested, rushing over to her. "I can't aim if I can't _see_!"

Even so, Honey Lemon's plan wasn't quite finished yet as she produced another orb through her purse, one that she didn't explain to the still very confused Wasabi as she instead lobbed it upward. The moment the orb struck the fog, the resounding chemical reaction solidified it, trapping the Heartless within a dense, frozen prison they were helpless to escape from, especially as it fell hard to the ground far below.

"Better?" Honey Lemon grinned to her teammate.

"_Much _better," Wasabi nodded, taking steady aim at the forestalled group on the ground. Without any of their frantic movements, the Heartless were easily defeated the moment his plasma blasts struck them, creating a strong, resounding explosion in the process.

Out of that explosion, Fred boldly sprang forward, eagerly ready to engage the flock of Heartless swarming the street before him with his suit's newest ability. "Freeze!" he exclaimed, firing out an intense, icy burst of breath upon them all before making his next move. "Flame!" On that same momentum, he let out another heavy breath, this time one of burning heat that only really served to thaw the Heartless he'd frozen mere seconds ago. "Whuh?" Fred frowned, initially confused by his plan's failure. Until… "Oh! I get it! It's a _combo _move!" He jumped high into the air as he unleashed both fire and ice in full force at the exact same time in an attack that was more than enough to clear out all of the Heartless closing in.

As Big Hero 6 continued taking out the smaller threats with much more success this time around, Sora, Donald, and Goofy still kept their focus on the largest Heartless among them. Baymax offered them ample backup as they tried their best to land as many hits as they could on the massive creature, though given its sturdy, armored exterior, that was anything but an easy feat. To make matters even more difficult, the monster had a rather annoying habit of engulfing its entire body in flames, making it all the more difficult for the trio to so much as get close to it, much less attack it.

"Yeowch!" Goofy flinched back from the intense heat radiating from the Heartless. "We're in some real hot water here, fellas! What do we do?"

"What we _really _need is a way to weaken his armor…" Sora noted, watching Donald try and fail to quell the monster's flames with yet another water spell. "Got any ideas, Baymax?"

The robot stopped midair, looking between the trio and the monster briefly before nodding calmly. _"Yes." _And with that Baymax was off, rocketing up into the air and out of the group's sight altogether, much to their confusion.

"Wha-Where's he going?!" Donald asked, alarmed.

"Wait! I see him!" Goofy shouted, pointing up to the sky. "Look!"

Sure enough, there Baymax was, now hovering high above the city and the ongoing action down below. Even so, the robot aimed his hand back down toward the ground, more specifically at the rampaging Heartless, before sending his rocket fist flying. The swift projectile struck its mark hard and steady, pummeling into the Heartless with an immense amount of force behind it. The creature let out a shrill hiss at this, it's flames dying down and it's armor breached, at last allowing the trio to go in for a direct assault. They did so in unison, with Sora leaping off the boost Goofy was offering him through his shield as Donald used a heavy burst of ice magic to freeze the monster's legs to the ground. With the creature immobilized, Sora had an already clear shot at landing a heavy blow to its head, though as Baymax flew back in toward him, he came up with an even better idea to do that and more.

Baymax seemed to understand his intent too as he glided in low, catching Sora's outstretched hand right as he nearly hit the Heartless. The pair outmaneuvered its attempts at lashing out at them, gaining a good bit more height above it before Sora lept off the robot toward the Heartless once more. He went in Keyblade first, half-tempted to cast some darkened light around it for good measure, at least until he remembered who was watching. Still, his weapon alone was enough to land a brutal strike head-on, one that caused the massive Heartless critical damage. The creature broke the ice that was holding it down as it reared up, writhing in pain for a moment until it clumsily crashed back down onto the frozen spikes it had unwittingly created in the process, spikes that, alongside yet another unified strike from the trio, was more than enough to bring its furious rampage to an end.

As the monster fully fell in defeat, Baymax rejoined the trio on the ground as they took a much-needed moment to recuperate from the intense battle they'd just won. Still, their spirits were high, especially as they noticed the number of Heartless besetting the city as a whole were rapidly starting to decline thanks to Big Hero 6's courageous efforts.

"Nice, Baymax!" Sora congratulated the robot for his skillful moves as he, Donald, and Goofy hurried over to him. Strangely, Baymax said nothing, instead silently holding out a fist to Sora, catching him and his companions off guard. "Uh… what?"

"_Now, we fist bump_," the robot explained simply.

"First… bump?" Sora frowned, not following.

"_To display excitement. Hiro taught it to me."_

"So… like this…?" Still quite confused, Sora pressed his fist against the robot's much larger one, Donald and Goofy practicing the move on each other as they watched curiously. In the immediate aftermath of the bump, Baymax drew his hand back, waving fingers almost playfully in the process.

"_Bah-la-la-la-la-la-la-la," _the robot chimed, expectantly looking to Sora to do the same.

"Bah-la-la-la?" he ventured, trying his best to mimic Baymax as Donald and Goofy did the same, even if the gesture was still somewhat lost on the trio as a whole.

"_My scanners are detecting emotions of confusion and bewilderment," _Baymax noted evenly. _"Do these kinds of feelings correlate to the Key? Or are joy and excitement more potent emotional responses instead?"_

"Uh… I feel like that's kind of hard to say for sure," Sora said, thoughtfully. "But I still think you could be on the right track."

"Well at least _somebody _is," Donald remarked, hands on his hips as he looked to Sora with a dry smirk.

"Hey! What's _that _supposed to mean?"

"Uh… fellas?" Goofy attempted to interject as he glanced back at the supposedly fallen monster behind them.

"It means you never know where and how to look for the Keys!" Donald largely ignored the captain in favor of critiquing Sora instead.

"F-fellas?" Goofy tried once more, though he didn't really reach either of them.

"Oh yeah? Then how is it that _I've _found _three _of them so far?"

"Fellas!"

"Through _luck_, and _not_ because of that 'Keys instinct' or whatever you like to call it, which, by the way _doesn't _exist."

"You keep saying that but we keep finding them, so…"

"_Oh no." _Baymax's rather muted declaration of alarm was what ultimately broke the pair out of their ongoing debate rather than Goofy's much more frantic attempts at catching their attention. And indeed, that alarm was warranted as the previously defeated Heartless suddenly let out a furious roar, pulling itself up off the ground as it managed to recover for another round against the group.

"Everyone, get ready!" Sora exclaimed, quickly snapping into a battle-ready pose alongside Donald and Goofy as they all called upon their weapons. However, fortunately, this time, they wouldn't have to face the creature on their own.

"We're here!"

With their weapons still trained on the Heartless, the trio turned to see the full force of Big Hero 6 behind them, including Hiro, who'd ventured all the way from the garage to help firsthand. The team stood ready to face this persistent threat together, even if some of them were a bit more ready than others.

"Aw, man, can't we pick on one our own size?" Wasabi asked, intimidated by the fearsome beast before them.

"It looks the right size to me," Go Go remarked with a wry, daring smirk.

"Watch me scorch 'em with my freeze-nado!" Fred brazenly proclaimed. "The _only _tornado made of ice _and _fire!"

"Whatever it takes to protect the city," Honey Lemon agreed, readily clutching a chem ball.

"You took on the wrong court magician!" Donald glared the large Heartless down.

"And the wrong captain of the guard!" Goofy added just as boldly.

"Prepare to face Keyblade Hero 3!" Sora finished, more than ready to finish the impending fight ahead.

"Oh, come on…" Donald grumbled, still far from fond of that team name.

"_And _the crime-fighting team of Big Hero 6!" Hiro interjected, sharing the determined resolve of all the others. "Together, we're unstoppable."

With that, the collective group of 9 all rushed forward, the massive Heartless doing the same to meet them in battle. A battle that, with both teams of heroes working together to reach their goals, this time around saw a swift and easy end.

* * *

After a quick recon around the entire city, it soon became apparent that most, if not all of the Heartless had at long last been defeated, leaving its innocent residents safe and sound once more. Given how arduous their first skirmishes against the creatures had started, the members of Big Hero 6 saw this triumph as no small feat, one that was quite worthy of celebrating alongside their trio of invaluable new friends. And though Sora, Donald, and Goofy were well aware that their search for this world's Key was still on, none of them protested to taking a relaxing break after the hectic day filled with fighting Heartless they'd all just had.

Said break took both teams to the top of San Fransokyo's iconic crimson bridge, giving them a beautifully scenic view of the city just as the crisp, warm sun began to set over it. Before Baymax took turns flying everyone up to the bridge's upper levels, they had all stopped to get something to toast their shared victory to: a round of fudge ice cream bars. And so, along with the grand view laying out before them, the collective group enjoyed their sweet treats and each other's company, cheerfully reveling in the success they all had to share.

Honey Lemon, Wasabi, and Fred, along with Donald and Goofy, had taken to one of the bridge's lower levels, each of them buzzing with satisfaction and excitement over the battle they'd just won. Having already quickly devoured his ice cream bar, Fred hopped around the support beam frenetically, caught up in celebrating in the most bombastic way among any of the others. "Was that awesome?" he asked, performing another high leap before he landed close to where Donald was sitting on the edge of the beam. "Or was that _totally _AWESOME?!"

"Yeah, I was pretty good," Donald grinned, quite proud of his part in the skirmish.

"Your magic is amazing," Honey Lemon nodded with an earnest smile. "Do you think I could study it sometime?"

"Why not?" the magician happily agreed.

"You just made Donald's day," Goofy laughed, the others soon joining in on the bright bout of levity, including Donald himself.

As the group below continued their lighthearted conversation, Sora, Hiro, Go Go, and Baymax all enjoyed their higher vantage point on the very top of the bridge. A spot that gave them a splendorous view of the shimmering bay as the sun cast its dying light upon it. And though their spirits were still high from the battle they'd just won, their conversation was surprisingly solemn all the same.

"My brother wanted to help people," Hiro absently lowered his ice cream as he looked toward the setting sun. "Now, we try to do the same."

"Your brother?" Sora inquired, curious, especially since Hiro had already mentioned him once before.

"Yeah… Tadashi…" the boy's expression turned wistful, sad even. Likewise, Go Go also looked away, closing her eyes in deep respect for her old friend. "There was a fire, a-and now… he's gone. But… he always wanted to make a difference. He cared about people. That's why he worked so hard to create Baymax."

Upon hearing such a tragic tale, Sora looked to Hiro with genuine sympathy, scarcely able to imagine just how much pain a loss as significant as a brother could bring. "I-I'm sorry…" he said quietly, earnestly, unsure of what else to really say.

And yet, for his part, Hiro surprisingly seemed to take it in stride, looking forward with a small, hopeful smile this time instead. "He's still here. In Baymax. In all of us."

Go Go and even Baymax nodded in agreement with this warm sentiment, something that this time, Sora easily understood. "Tadashi-he lives on in your hearts," he mused thoughtfully, knowing just how strong the connections between hearts could be. Connections so strong that sometimes, untold separation, even death itself, couldn't break them.

Hiro was admittedly caught off guard by this, though ultimately he couldn't help but agree. "Right," he smiled easily. "He'll always be a part of us in some way."

"Yeah," Sora nodded, leaning back to get a better view of the sun-soaked sky. All the while, he felt a familiar sort of stirring starting in his heart, a warmth that he knew all-too well and welcomed all the while. Especially as he remembered exactly where, or rather _who _that comforting warmth was coming from. "And when you're not strong enough, he'll make up the difference."

Just as Roxas had made up the difference in the throes of that horrific nightmare, how he had stood against all of the darkness and treachery of Master Xehanort himself, all to protect _him_, to rescue _his heart. _In a way, Roxas had made a promise to catch him so he wouldn't fall, a promise that he knew would come at his own expense. But it had been a promise he'd made all the same, to lend his strength to Sora if he ever needed it-and he always _did _need it-even if that meant his own heart still couldn't be set free.

_And yet for the briefest of moments, captivated in the crisp orange glow of the setting sun he'd seen many times before, it felt as though he really _was _free. He was free and there he was, sitting alongside Hayner, Pence, and Olette, talking and laughing and eating their sea salt ice cream, just as they always did. _

"_Roxas."_

_And yet… in another moment, that trio was gone, replaced with a pair altogether. Axel sat to his left, and to his right, a girl whose face he couldn't quite see. But still they smiled and sat together, ice cream in hand, enjoying each other's company, however fleeting it might be. _

"_No. I."_

_The ice cream stayed constant as something shifted. Axel still remained but suddenly, sitting alongside __her__ was Roxas instead. Their smiles were muted, the world somewhat dulled but there was still a sunset, there was still a strange sort of sweetness in the air, still enough for __her__ to treasure this memory, however frail and fleeting it might have been. _

"_Ventus." _

_But then the faces changed entirely, ice cream and the sunset gone, replaced by a matching set of precious charms and a clear night's sky instead. A man with earthy brown hair and a cool, confident manner spoke to him, a woman with blue hair and a kind smile ruffling his hair. And he joined them in their bright laughter, felt secure in their comforting presence, just as he always had. _

"_**Vanitas."**_

_**Until he found himself standing alone, abandoned and forgotten. Unwanted by all. Barely existing under a sky just as empty as the depths of his very own incomplete heart. **_

"_Sora." _

_But then there was the sunset again, flooding him with its warmth and peace as Riku and Kairi sat alongside him. Uneaten paopu fruit resting in each of their hands as they said nothing, did nothing but basked together in the hope that this was where they'd someday be once again. Home, together, just as they always promised they'd be. _

"Sora…?"

He finally opened his eyes at this, breaking himself out a flowing tide of memories, both known and unknown with a startled gasp. He glanced over swiftly, finding the very same group of Hiro, Go Go, and Baymax sitting alongside him, just as they'd been moments ago. All three of them looked over to him with concern, noticing just how strangely disoriented he seemed to be completely out of, as far as they knew, nowhere.

"Uh… you ok, Sora?" Hiro asked, worried by Sora's clearly startled expression.

"Um, y-yeah," he nodded quickly, forcing himself to recover. "Fine."

Fortunately, the others seemed to buy this without much else of an explanation, going back to enjoying their ice cream and the sunset as they'd been before. Yet at the same time, Sora kept his thoughts on that strange string of memories he'd just seen, on that feeling of warmth, still brimming strong in his heart, protecting it from the darkness that was actively trying to pervade it.

"_You protected our hearts inside of your own, now let us return the favor," _Roxas had said, his smile carrying a vow so momentous that Sora knew he'd never be able to repay it, if he could even try at all. _"I know you'll find a way to save us someday, but right now, we're going to do everything we can to save you." _And he had. And _they were_.

Much like how Hiro and the rest of Big Hero 6 still carried Tadashi on in their hearts, Sora knew he was doing very much the same with Roxas, and, as he'd recently learned, Ventus as well. And yet as he carried them within his heart, they still strived to carry his heart on as well. To shield it, to _save _it, from whatever harm might try to come to it, darkness or otherwise. Which was why, with that promise in mind, with the knowledge of what they were doing to help him, the lengths they were going to to protect him, Sora knew, now more than ever, that he had to do whatever he could to set them both free.

So he smiled softly as he looked to the sky once more, letting the glow of that ever-constant sunset compliment the gentle warmth resting within his heart as he quietly offered up his own promise once again. "I'm with you," he said, his voice barely a whisper as he closed his eyes and hoped they heard, knowing that they would. "_Both _of you."

* * *

While most of San Fransokyo lay fast asleep in the late hours of the night, some still roamed its streets under the cover of darkness, usually those who were looking for trouble. Or rather, the source of such trouble itself, as was the case with one particular pair as they strolled across one of its empty byways.

"Uh… Maleficent?" Pete spoke up, dubiously glancing around the surrounding city. "You sure those three are runnin' around _this _here world? 'Cause I haven't seen hide nor hair of 'em since we got here!"

"Fret not," Maleficent assured as coolly as ever as she glanced over the interpass they were on, focusing in on a small, yet straggling pack of Heartless gathered in an alleyway below. "They're here. After all, wherever the three of them go, the Heartless are typically not far behind."

Though he still had his doubts, Pete nodded all the same, accepting her intel. "So, what's the plan? You gonna let me sock it to the King's pair o' punks while you drag the kid off kickin' and screaming? Or should we do it the other way around?"

"Neither, you simpleton," Maleficent glared over at her henchman. "I have no intentions of doling out any sort of mindless brute force this time. That's what the Heartless are for."

"Er-whuzzit? We're using Heartless this time around?" Pete asked, confused. "Well why didn't ya just do that last time!? Would've worked out _way _better than that whole thing with the vines if ya ask me."

"_Enough_, you fool," Maleficent growled, growing increasingly irritated by the moment. "My brilliant plan will become perfectly clear once we-" She stopped short, picking up on the formation of the dark corridor appearing behind them almost instantly. Startled, Pete spun around to see who was joining them, Maleficent doing the same much more calmly, but even so, both of them were still on their guard as black coat-clad figure emerged from the portal. His hood was up, concealing his face, but even so, the dark fairy recognized his voice from the moment he first spoke.

"Why are you snooping around?" he asked the pair haughtily, hands on his hips.

"That would be none of _your _concern," Maleficent scoffed flippantly.

Even so, the hooded figure simply laughed her off. "Overstep, and darkness will consume you again," he warned almost knowingly.

"What an interesting thing to say," Maleficent smirked, unconcerned. "But I shall do anything I please. As should _you_."

The hooded figure nodded, seeming to accept this as he turned to take his leave. "Oh, I intend to," he said, calling upon another dark corridor. Though before he stopped through it, he did glance back at the pair one last time. "Oh, and if you _do _manage to _actually _get what you want here, make sure to tell him we're more than ready to welcome him with open arms any time he wants…"

Maleficent's already severe glower deepened upon hearing this, especially as she watched the hooded figure disappear. "Oh believe me," she hissed bitterly. "I will do _no _such thing. Especially since I can guarantee that he'll be in _my _employ first…"

"Who was that guy?" Pete interjected, confused by the strange, yet sudden visit. "Friend of yours?"

Maleficent finally cooled down a bit at this as she continued on her way down the road once more. "Yes. Though I could not tell you from 'when'. Either way, as I was saying before we were so _rudely _interrupted… allow me to propose a question, Pete, that even someone as dense as yourself might have a suitable answer to. If you are fully aware of your enemy's weakness, what would you do with that information?"

"Uh… use their weakness against 'em. Duh."

"Of course," Maleficent grinned. "And if your foe's weakness was, say, a deep, undying dedication and devotion to their friends, then how would you go about _exploiting _that weakness…?"

"Uh… well…" Pete paused, trying to come up with a suitable answer until Maleficent grew impatient and filled one in for him.

"You would force that foe to _choose_," she said with a cold, treacherous smirk, assured that her plan, and all that it entailed would soon be realized. "You'd force him to choose between himself and his friends. And once his poor, bleeding heart makes the _obvious _choice... " Maleficent's grin deepened as she clenched a tight fist over her glowing scepter, blocking out any sort of light that could have come from it altogether until only darkness remained. The very same sort of thing she planned on doing to a certain heart the moment she finally had its owner in her clutches. "_That's _when we'll strike…"

* * *

**Ohoho well at least I managed to provide some interesting... setup in this chapter. Cause like I said next time around is when things really start to get... interesting. But as for now if you liked what you saw here please don't forget to REVIEW! Until next time! **


	21. Chapter 20: Immortals

_Ahahahaha oh boy! I'm pretty dang excited about this chapter, I gotta say. For while the first half of it is pretty standard, its second half is where things really start to go _off the rails _and I'm sooooo glad to have finally gotten to it! But I won't spoil any of that for you right here. You'll just have to read on to find out what happens... ;) Enjoy!_

* * *

_Chapter 20: Immortals _

'_Cause we could be immortals, immortals,  
Just not for long, for long  
And live with me forever now,  
You pull the blackout curtains down,  
Just not for long, for long,  
We could be immortals_

As a stark contrast to the chaos that had beset the city and its residents earlier in the day, night seemed to have fallen peacefully over San Fransokyo. In light of their hard-won triumph over the Heartless, it was a sort of calm that the members of Big Hero 6, as well as Sora, Donald, and Goofy, certainly welcomed. With no rampaging monsters to distract them, the collective group was making their way back to the garage to plan out their next move when it came to finding the Key. A goal that the young heroes of Big Hero 6 were more than happy to assist the trio in accomplishing considering the invaluable help they'd offered them thus far.

"So once you guys get all 13 of those Keys," Hiro began, ever curious. "What exactly are you planning on doing with them?"

"That's a… good question…" Sora exchanged a quizzical look with Donald and Goofy. Though all the pair had for him were a set of shared shrugs, an obvious sign that they were just as clueless about their endgame as he was. Not that they could really divulge that information if they did have it, especially when the matter of the world order came into account. "We don't really know. But what we _do _know is that we need to get them all before Organization XIII can."

"Organization XIII?" Go Go glanced back at the trio. "What's that, some kind of gang?"

"A gang of villainous scoundrels, bent on complete and utter world domination!" Fred zealously spun around to walk backward. "Am I right, or am I _right_?"

"You're… not too far off, actually," Sora admitted. "Whenever somebody from the Organization shows up, they bring nothing but trouble with them."

"Ya know, maybe they're the reason why Heartless started showin' up here in the city in the first place," Goofy pointed out. "They had to've come from somewhere, right?"

"Which means that Organization member could still be here, looking for the Key too!" Donald piped up urgently.

"And _that _means they could bring the Heartless back again to attack the city," Sora concluded, every bit as serious as his companions.

"Well if they do, then we'll be ready for them," Hiro said, resolved. "Right, Baymax?"

Oddly, the robot didn't answer, his attention instead focused on the nearby street they were passing by. Or rather, what was speeding down it toward them.

It flew behind them all in a flash, though as it turned a broad corner down the next street, they were all able to see it clearly just as Baymax had just seconds before them. Countless small, black, yet gently glowing cubes, converged together in a large, writhing mass that hovered on its own accord somehow. It continued swiftly navigating its way down the street, seeming to pay no attention to the baffled group watching it with balking, baffled stares.

"Uh, w-what the heck is _that _thing?!" Wasabi squeaked, alarmed.

"Looks like you guys weren't wrong," Go Go glanced over at the trio. "Those creatures are back for more."

"Then let's give them what they're after," Honey Lemon's tone was resolved as she pulled a chem ball from her purse. "It's time for a lesson."

"_Chaaaaaarge_!" Fred bellowed, rushing forward to meet this newfound threat. Wasabi, Go Go, and Honey Lemon were quick to follow after him, and Hiro nearly did the same. At least until he caught another look at the mass of cubes, now arranged into the three-dimensional shape of a heart, positioned atop a building not too far away from their current location.

"W-wait!" He gasped as his helmet's visor offered him a timely scan of their latest foe. "Guys! This one's not like the others!"

Despite this warning, the other members of the team didn't hear him, still running ahead to fight the cubes. Hiro made no such move to follow them however, worry filling him instead at the mere thought of having to face the very first threat they'd ever tackled together as a team all over again. "It can't be…" he whispered incredulously. "Microbots...?"

"Microbots?" Sora asked, having overheard him. "You know what they are?"

"Well, they're different from the Heartless," Goofy noted, scratching his head.

"But they still look like they're here to cause trouble, just _like _the Heartless!" Donald scowled up at the distant mass of darkened cubes.

"N-no, that's not-" Hiro cut himself off with a leveling sigh. "Microbots are designed to do whatever you think via a neural transmitter that communicates whatever you're…" He trailed off, quickly realizing from their absolutely blank expressions that the trio wasn't following his rather technical explanation. "Uh, they're kind of a mini-bot I invented. Some… bad stuff happened and I thought that meant they were totally gone. But those new enemies are _way _too similar. Which means _someone's _controlling them. The question is who." Hiro paused once more, his already palpable dread increasing tenfold as he remembered all too well exactly _who _had controlled, or rather _stole_, his microbots before. And, even more painfully, what that theft had cost his friends, his family, himself, both at the start of it all and at the end. "No way…" he muttered, trying to believe that it wasn't true, that it _couldn't _be true. And yet… "Could it be…?"

"Hiro?" Sora leaned in, concerned.

Pulling himself out of his multitude of anxiety-ridden thoughts, Hiro looked up, his expression set and stern with newfound determination to make this right. Regardless of whoever might be behind it. "I'm gonna go back to the garage and look into this. You guys mind helping out the rest of the team out here?"

"Of course," Sora smiled, Donald and Goofy nodding alongside him. "After all, we need you taking care of all of the sciency stuff so we can take care of the Heartless."

"Right," Hiro agreed, more than happy to help his team-and his friends-in any way he could. "Baymax," he turned to his robot. "Stick with 'em. They might need your help."

"_All right, Hiro," _Baymax stepped forward to join the trio as they began to set out. _"Sora, Donald, Goofy, I will be your personal healthcare companion."_

"Thanks, Baymax," Sora readily accepted the robot's aid. Especially given how he'd already more than proven himself in a fight earlier that day. "We're in good hands. Now, c'mon, everyone!" he beckoned the others forward so they could join the rest of Big Hero 6. "Let's move."

By now, the mass of microbots had moved from its original position, the members of Big Hero 6 following suit as it sped through the winding city streets. Because of this, Baymax and the trio had already lost sight of the others as they parted ways with Hiro, leaving them largely on their own to find them and their new foe. While that was their main priority, however, they found that getting to it wouldn't be as quick as they'd hoped. Especially as Heartless began to appear around almost every turn.

"Aw, come on!" Donald huffed, annoyed as they came face-to-face with a particularly large horde of the creatures. "Not again!"

"Just when ya think ya got 'em all, they always manage to come back," Goofy scowled, just as exasperated as he pulled his shield out.

"Whatever's controlling those microbot things must have something to do with the Heartless too," Sora mused, knowing that the likelihood of the Heartless reappearing now couldn't be a mere coincidence.

"_That's exactly what I was thinking too," _Hiro suddenly piped up over the intercom system. _"If we can find out who that is, then I think it's a safe bet that we'll be able to stop them both.."_

"Find out who's behind all this. Sounds easy enough," Sora agreed. "Don't worry, Hiro, we're on it."

"_Thanks, I knew I could count on you guys," _Hiro said, allayed.

"But how are we supposed to do that?" Donald shot Sora an incredulous look amidst firing off a thunder spell to help clear the crowd of Heartless besetting them. "We don't have any idea who's sending these Heartless _or _those microbots!"

"Well it's bound to be _someone _from the Organization," Sora countered as he knocked down a few Heartless himself. "That narrows it down at least a little, right?"

"Yep, to about 13," Goofy noted, blocking an attack from one of the winged creatures. "Unless they got any new members we don't know about."

"I sure hope not," Donald grumbled. "Dealing thirteen is bad enough."

"Tell me about it…" Sora sighed, especially as even more Heartless came into view.

"_I am unable to scan for Organization XIII," _Baymax reported, fending several more of the creatures off on his own. _"However I am able to track our current target… there."_

The robot pointed to a tall building afar in the distance, where, sure enough, the swarm of microbots shifted and shimmered, even as the various attacks of the members of Big Hero 6 tried their best to damage it. An effort that didn't seem to be doing much as the mass of cubes didn't even seem to so much as budge, even under the countless strikes hitting it at once.

"The others need our help!" Sora exclaimed, already rushing through the horde of monsters ahead.

"But what about the Heartless?" Goofy asked, exchanging an alarmed glance with Donald.

"Leave 'em! We've got to go!"

Baymax was the first to act on Sora's call onward, his thrusters kicking up as he flew through the crowd of Heartless, knocking most of them aside in the process. While they were stunned by the sudden blow, Donald and Goofy readily followed suit. They joined Sora in catching a lift from the robot, narrowly latching onto his hands as their young companion took his back. And with his trio of passengers in tow, Baymax took off, rocketing to the skies so they could all get a better view of exactly what they were dealing with.

For its part, the microbot mass had remained stationary, allowing the members of Big Hero 6 to attack it nearly endlessly, though still to no avail. Still, the young heroes were more than relieved to spot a familiar crimson bot closing in, carrying an accompanying trio who was more than ready to join in on the fray.

Just as Baymax flew in high above the microbots, Sora took the initiative, diving off the robot's back with his Keyblade already at the ready. He struck the writhing mass squarely, his Keyblade slicing through several of the unseen bonds connecting the cubes it was composed of together. And yet, as he rebounded away from it to stick a solid landing on the street below, he quickly found that his heavy attack was nowhere near as effective as he thought it would be. The cubes rippled and wavered briefly, though they just as quickly wove themselves back together into their steady, heart-shaped form, not at all impacted by what should have been a devastating blow.

"W-what?" Sora was baffled, even as Donald, Goofy, and Baymax came to join him on the ground. "No fair! Why can't we hurt it?"

"_It's because they aren't microbots!" _Hiro exclaimed over the intercom, finally able to glean more about this new threat now that he had made it back to the garage. _"I just scanned them again and those things _aren't _what I invented. They're… well, I don't really know _what _they are, but we've gotta take it down."_

"_Uh, yeah, we've been _trying _to do that," _Wasabi chimed in, clearly struggling based on his tone alone. _"But we aren't exactly making a ton of progress on that front…"_

"_It's like it's impenetrable!" _Honey Lemon added just as frantically. _"None of our weapons are working against it!"_

"_Our shugyo didn't prepare us for the combined power of millions of tiny evil CUBES!" _Fred wailed, dramatic as ever.

"_Greaaat, it's like we're back to square one all over again," _Go Go deadpanned, annoyed.

"_I am detecting a change in the target's structural integrity," _Baymax interjected. Sure enough, as he pointed to the mass of cubes, it had shifted forms once again, spiraling out as it began to glide through the city streets at a swift pace once more. Not willing to let it get away again, the group raced after it, even if most of them were well aware they still wouldn't have much luck in fighting it once they caught up to it.

"Gee, I wonder what it's doin' now?" Goofy asked, aptly confused by the horde's strange, dodgy behavior.

"You mean aside from being impossible to attack?" Donald retorted, disgruntled.

"This is starting to get weird…" Sora frowned, stopping to watch the mass of cubes continue on its way to whatever unknown destination it had in mind. "Hiro, you got any leads on that thing?"

"_I'm starting to," _Hiro confirmed, working at a rapid pace on his computer to gather as much information as he could as quickly as possible. _"Somewhere inside of that thing, there's a core. It's what powers the whole cluster. And if my data is right, attacking that core is the only way to really damage it."_

"_Oh, _now _you tell us…" _Wasabi huffed, the sharp din of a fierce ongoing fight echoing in the background of his feed.

"_Would have been great to know that a LONG time ago, genius!" _Go Go snapped, apparently distressed.

"_G-guys! What's going on!?" _Hiro asked anxiously, switching gears to check the status of his teammates instead.

"_Let's just say… it's a lot," _Honey Lemon said, her voice wavering under some sort of strain.

"Is everyone ok?" Sora asked, immediately sharing Hiro's growing concern for the others.

"_Team, check in!" _Hiro ordered, and for their part, the team did their best to comply.

"_S-so far so good," _Honey Lemon said, albeit somewhat unsteadily.

"_Just _peachy_," _Go Go growled, irritated. _"It'd be even better if we could just land a hit on this thing."_

"_Freddie's getting frustrated!" _Fred huffed, also quite out of sorts.

"Alright, that's it." Back at the garage, Hiro stood up from his computer, determined to do his part to help his team, his _friends_, out in the field rather than from a safe distance. "I'm on my way.

Somewhere atop one of the city's larger buildings, Honey Lemon made use of one of her chem balls to create a landing platform for her to take some sort of refuge from the cube's continued attack. She nearly fell off of that platform entirely, however, when she heard Hiro's risky resolve. "No, Hiro!"

"Hiro, you analyze the Darkubes!" Fred agreed, narrowly dodging a swarm of cubes in the square just below Honey Lemon's current position.

"Wait, did you just say 'Darkubes'?" Wasabi asked incredulously as he trailed and failed to slice through several of the cluster's swiftly moving tendrils about a block away.

"Yeah. They're dark, they're cubes," Fred reiterated. "I call 'em like I see 'em. _Every _baddie needs a cool name!"

"Yeah, that's _not _cool," Go Go rolled her eyes as she continued skating in between the newly-dubbed Darkubes' rapid strikes.

Honey Lemon flinched as the mass of cubes slammed into the building beside her, rattling the entire alleyway as they reeled back for another attack. "We'll gather as much data from the Darkubes as we can," she said, using a chem ball to dissipate her current platform to dodge that attack.

At the same time, Wasabi continued firing off laser projectiles at the horde of cubes attacking him, though much to his frustration they tirelessly persisted all the same. Even so, he completely agreed with Honey Lemon, largely for the sake of putting an end to this seemingly endless threat as soon as possible. "Yeah! Figure out a way for us to beat this thing!"

"_But guys," _Hiro protested, desperate to do _something _to help his friends out of harm's way. _"I can't just leave you out there all alone against that thing."_

"Hiro," Go Go's voice was stern, even as she sped down a winding street with a cluster of Darkubes in hot persuit all the while. "We are a team. And teams _delegate_. We need you at the garage. We trust you, so _you _trust _us_."

For a moment, Hiro still hesitated on the other end of the intercom line. Despite being the unofficial leader of Big Hero 6, he'd always known he was the least combat-ready among them, usually having to rely on Baymax sticking close by his side in most dangerous encounters. But that had never stopped him from wanting to stand by his friends, no matter what they had to face. And yet, perhaps this time, the best way for him to do that was just as his teammates were imploring him to do: to stay put and offer his aid in a different way entirely. By uncovering intel that could very well spell the difference between success or defeat.

"_Fine," _Hiro finally agreed with an accepting smile. _"I'll look for a way for us to expose the Darkubes' core. Just keep that data coming."_

"_Copy!" _the members of Big Hero 6 all chimed in, ready to do just that.

"Hiro, what should we do?" Sora asked, more than eager to aid the team's valiant effort.

"_You protect the others," _Hiro advised. _"Everyone's spread out across the city, but you should be able to find them once I send their positions over to your AR display."_

"Right. We're on it!" Sora grinned, summoning his Keyblade for the brawl ahead. Likewise, Donald and Goofy called upon their own weapons, and with that, they were all off, Baymax keeping pace with the trio all the while.

"_Thanks, but be careful," _Hiro said as the group began to set out to their nearest objective. _"The Darkubes are gonna be tricky to bust open. You'll have to assess everyone's situations and-"_

"Improvise!" Sora finished, easily vaulting onto a shorter rooftop as the others followed suit. "I know."

"_Cool," _Hiro laughed for the first time since this predicament started. _"Good luck out there!"_

So far, luck seemed to be exactly what the group was having as they made their way towards a nearby skyscraper without being slowed down by any bothersome Heartless in the process. Sure enough, the coordinates Hiro had sent over were accurate, for the first member of the team they came across seemed to be Honey Lemon. Or at least, they _assumed _it was her based on the abandoned chem purse that had fallen onto the roof. Honey Lemon herself was nowhere to be found, though there was a rather conspicuous cluster of Darkubes above it, its tendrils latched onto several nearby structures. It remained anchored by various shades of chemical globs that Honey Lemon had tried to use to weigh it down, a plan that had largely worked, aside from the Darkubes managing to snag her within her own trap first.

"Honey Lemon!" Sora called as he and the others made their approach.

"Sora? Is that you?" Honey Lemon shouted from within the Darkube orb. "Oh, thank goodness! I think I'm stuck. B-but I have an idea! See if you can find the residue from my chem balls; if you hit them with fire or electricity, it might trigger a chain reaction!"

"And that would be… a good thing, right?" Sora asked, still somewhat out of the loop when it came to most matters of science.

"In this case? Absolutely," Honey Lemon confirmed.

So the group got to work to act on her helpful hint, though not without a bit of trouble from the crowd of Heartless that materialized as soon as they did. Fortunately, Baymax took the initiative in handling them while the trio moved on to help Honey Lemon. They did so with a mix between solid physical attacks and magic, namely fire and electric, just as they'd been advised. It took a bit of doing and outmaneuvering Heartless between the two roofs the Darkubes were spread across, but one by one, they managed to clear the grounding globs of color out, loosening the bonds keeping Honey Lemon trapped in the process.

With the orb holding her weakened, she easily busted out of it, breaking the cluster's strongly-held shape to land squarely back on the roof. "Gracias, Sora!" she grinned brightly, reclaiming her fallen chem purse before running onto rejoin the fray. "Next time, I won't go easy on them!"

Baymax and the trio waved her off as they headed separate ways, their next target appearing to be on one of the city's tallest buildings. Even so, Baymax's thrusters made easy work of scaling it, allowing the group to see that another member of Big Hero 6 had been trapped much like Honey Lemon had before.

"Uh, c-can a fella get a little help in here?!" Wasabi shouted he tried his hardest to cut away at the inside of the large orb of Darkubes he was stuck within. And yet, even his laser blades seemed to be doing little to whittle away at the hard inner shell the Darkubes had created, much to Wasabi's rising panic.

"Wasabi! Can you hear me?" Sora called as him, Donald, and Goofy dismounted Baymax to land on the roof. A roof that was once again beset by Heartless intent on guarding the Darkube prison hovering above them.

"Sora! Am I glad to see you!" Wasabi choked out a relieved laugh. "I am _not _a big fan of heights. Hey, you think it dragged me up here 'cause it's scared of being attacked from above?"

"Above?" Donald repeated, exchanging a knowing glance with Sora and Goofy.

"That's it!" Sora grinned, putting their impromptu plan into action.

Goofy joined in, poising his shield just right as Sora got a running start toward it. The shield always made for a surprisingly strong springboard, one that propelled him up into the air just enough to gain some air above the Darkubes. All it took was one single, swift swing of his Keyblade to disrupt their outer shell, allowing Wasabi to take care of the rest from the inside as the cubes began to ripple and waver under the force of the blow.

With a broad swing of his laser blades, Wasabi broke free, elated to be out of the rather claustrophobic cage he'd been trapped in. "Finally!" he cheered, touching down on the roof. "Thanks for the save, you guys. I'll go see if anyone else needs help." He rushed to do just that, though his fear of heights did hold him back a bit as he stopped short on the edge of the roof before taking a deep breath and taking the plunge to make his way back down into the city proper.

That was a leap that the group also took, largely since the next member of the team in peril was also being held inside another cluster of Darkubes, though this time it was steadily rolling through the city streets. "Augh!" Go Go slammed against the side of that cluster for what seemed like the hundredth time, her megalev disks doing little to break it to free her from it. "I'm really, _really _starting to hate these things…"

"Go Go! Is that you in there?" Sora shouted as he began to pursue the rolling Darkubes down the street first, the others following not too far behind.

"Yeah!" Go Go answered as loudly as she could. "I don't know how to stop this thing. I tried slowing it down with my discs but it was no use. You see anything big you can smash against it?"

"Gawrsh, I think I do!" Goofy exclaimed, pointing out another large orb sitting on the corner nearby. The very same massive, decorative red ball that had been an accidental casualty of the group's _shugyo _the previous night.

"That's perfect!" Sora agreed, already heading over to it. The others offered him plenty of cover against the Heartless swarming the streets as he scaled the ball, taking a moment to properly gain his balance on it before running it forward. Still, despite his best efforts, he wasn't really able to catch up to the Darkubes as they continued rolling about with no real direction in mind. That quickly changed, however, as Sora decided to act on a whim and change his strategy by taking a sharp turn down an adjacent street instead. This shortcut proved to be quite effective as the Darkubes clearly hadn't anticipated it, especially as Sora came wheeling around the corner it just so happened to be approaching. The red ball crashed into the Darkubes hard enough to create a sizable opening in the side of it, one that was more than enough to allow Go Go an easy getaway as she widened it using her megalev discs.

"Thanks," she nodded to the trio tersely before she skated off to continue the fight. "I owe you!"

For their part, Baymax and the trio likewise continued on their way, knowing that the only member of the team left to find now was Fred. It didn't take them very long either, as they rounded down another road to spot him, caught up in a much more stationary Darkube trap, though still a trap all the same.

"Fred! You ok?" Sora asked, stopping short just as another horde of Heartless made their appearance.

"B-been better!" Fred called back amidst the Darkube tendrils relentlessly pulling each of his limbs taunt. "I'm getting pulled in too many directions! Do you think you can free my arms and legs? Gotta find a weak point and loosen the Darkube's grip!"

"_I am detecting a weak point in the Darkubes' structural integrity there," _Baymax pointed out a nearby street light post, one that the Darkubes had latched onto as they continued pulling against Fred all the while. The tendrils wrapped around them seemed to be surprisingly thin though, an advantage the group readily took advantage of as they each took to one of the four surrounding poles they were connected to. They all attacked the cubes in tandem, breaking the chain of cubes in one fell swoop and allowing Fred to break himself free in the process.

"Suuuuper jump!" He emerged from the Darkubes with a high, ecstatic leap, more than glad to have his limbs free from the Darkube's stretching hold. "Pure appreciation, man. My citizens! They need me!" As he landed a moment later, he acknowledged the group who'd come to his rescue with a grateful nod before bounding off to face whatever foe came next.

"_Is everyone alright?" _Hiro chimed in over the intercom.

"_Just fine," _Honey Lemon confirmed warmly.

"_Never better!" _Wasabi agreed.

"_Raring to go and ready to save the day, as usual," _Fred quipped with his usual bravado.

"_So what's next?" _Go Go asked, getting to the point.

"_Ok, everyone, listen up," _Hiro's tone was serious as he read over the data the team had managed to gather in their various frays. _"The Darkubes have converged on a single location. Whatever's happening _can't _be good. I'm almost done pinpointing the core. If you need me to help-"_

"Nah, it's ok, Hiro," Sora assured. "We're on it."

Hiro let out what almost sounded like a disappointed sigh on the other end of the line, but ultimately he agreed. _"Thanks. Now, get going, before things can get any worse!"_

"_Right!" _Everyone agreed in unison, all of them setting out from their respective positions toward the place where the Darkubes were rapidly gathering: a tall building in the city's south district, one that towered high above the rest of the town. Cubes were swirling in toward its concealed central core from all over San Fransokyo, though they weren't the only ones gravitating toward it. The members of Big Hero 6 raced to meet up there, Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Baymax doing the exact same as they took to the sky to get there faster. The Heartless seemed to have strangely thinned out in numbers to let them make their approach, though the reason behind this was anyone's guess. Even so, by the time everyone had regrouped atop their targeted building, the cluster of Darkcubes was massive, to say the least, hovering high above the rooftop as it shimmered with its usual, unknown, yet clearly dangerous energy. And, if Hiro's lead was correct, buried somewhere deep within that rippling, yet sturdy exterior was a hidden core that could be the key to bringing it all down once and for all.

"Ok, so there's like… a _lot _of them," Go Go noted, exchanging a baffled glance with her teammates at the sheer uncountable number of Darkubes they'd be up against.

"What do ya suppose they'll do?" Goofy wondered, frowning.

"I don't think we wanna find out," Wasabi shook his head, already taking up a defensive pose.

"I say we destroy this thing!" Fred boldly proclaimed, stepping forward.

"Yeah!" Donald agreed, raising his staff to attack.

"But without a strategy, we'd just be wasting our strength," Honey Lemon countered evenly.

"If only we knew _where _to strike…" Sora muttered, carefully looking the Darkube cluster over.

"_Wait! Sora! I got it!" _Hiro excitedly announced through the intercom. _"I'm sending you an AR software update. It'll show you where the core is-the Darkubes' weak point. And since we now know where to attack it, I'm coming to help!"_

"Wait, Hiro-" Sora stopped short, wincing as a sudden burst of noisy static rippled across the intercom, his AR visor flashing a bright, sharp red as it failed to pinpoint any sort of core as Hiro had said it would. "Huh?" Sora frowned, confused by the strange interference. "That's weird. Is it busted?" Unsure of how to get the device working properly again, he looked to the Darkubes once more, only for static to continue rolling in across the visor, disrupting the display and Sora's vision along with it. However, as he happened to glance down, he quickly noticed another disconcerting sight: a lone figure, clad in an all-too-familiar black coat, slowly making their way across the roof toward the group. "Uh, Hiro?" Sora began warily as he kept his sights set on that unknown figure. "Who's that on the display?"

Strangely, Hiro didn't answer, but Goofy did instead, stepping forward to stand supportively by Sora's side as Donald did the same. "That's not on the display," the captain said sternly, raising his shield. "He's really here."

"The black coat… He's back?" Go Go muttered incredulously. Both her and the rest of Big Hero 6 all vaguely recognized this mysterious figure who'd been spotted more than a few times around the city just prior to the Heartless sieging it. Something that, in retrospect, couldn't simply be a mere coincidence.

"Are you done messing around?" the hooded figure finally spoke, addressing Sora in particular with an air of haughty confidence in his tone. A tone that Sora had heard many times before and would recognize just about anywhere. Even though it made absolutely no sense for him to be hearing it here of all places.

"Wait… that voice…" Sora stilled his Keyblade, straining to get a better glimpse of exactly who that dark hood was hiding away. "It can't be…"

"Hold on," Wasabi interjected. "You _know _this guy?"

Before Sora could really offer an answer, Fred cut in with his usual round of on-the-nose narration. "And now… enter the supervillian!"

"He definitely has the vibe…" Honey Lemon agreed, a chem ball already in her hand and at the ready if need be.

"Hmph, funny," the mysterious figure let out something of a dry, mocking laugh. By now, however, he'd clearly grown tired of the ongoing banter as he finally removed his hood. And the very moment he did, at least for Sora, everything else seemed to come to a grinding halt altogether.

"R-Riku…" he barely managed to choke out, wondering if the AR device or his eyes or something else entirely were playing tricks on him and desperately hoping they were. "But… how-"

"Riku" held up a hand to silence him, his already knowing grin deepening as he regarded the shocked expression Sora was sending his way silently. Sure enough, he certainly seemed to be Riku, though even upon a first glance, he was clearly different. His fairly new clothing had, of course, been replaced by the Organization's tell-tale black coat, and at the same time, he looked strangely _younger _by at least a year or two. His silver hair was once again longer as it used to be, and, most disconcerting of all, his eyes, which should have been a familiar, easy turquoise, were now a stark, bitter yellow instead.

"N-no…" Sora whispered, so quietly that none of the others heard him. It took almost no time at all for his mind to whirl through the myriad of distressing thoughts that filled it as he took in the simple sight of Riku. Being here, looking like _this_, after everything that had happened, after everything they'd been through. And yet out of all those countless, crushing thoughts, one still persisted above them all. "I-I thought… I thought _I _was the one they wanted…"

And by all accounts, he figured it would have been better if he was the one they had. Especially if it was in the place of one of his two closest friends who had seemed to have fallen into the Organization's sinister clutches instead.

"Riku" still said nothing as he turned his attention toward the small data chip that had materialized above his hand, one that was drenched in a clear, shadowy aura just as much as the Darkubes still swarming above him were. "As if this stupid Key hunt wasn't already enough of a hassle…" His cool smile finally fell into cold annoyance as he looked over the chip, one that Hiro also managed to catch sight of as functionality finally returned to Sora's AR visor.

"_Wait… W-where'd he get that?" _he asked incredulously, zooming in on the familiar skull etched onto the side of the chip.

"Hiro?" Sora shook his head to clear it, grounding himself back into the more urgent matter at hand. Even if his sights never left "Riku" all the while. "Do you recognize that thing?"

"_...Yeah," _Hiro hesitantly admitted. _"That's the first chip I made for Baymax. It's full of combat programs." _Upon hearing this, the other members of Big Hero 6 all let out a round of startled gasps, recognizing the chip themselves and immediately understanding just how downright _impossible _it was for it to be here. Especially considering what it's supposed fate had been.

"Programs?" Sora asked, finally breaking his gaze away from "Riku" to exchange a confused glance with Donald and Goofy.

"_Yeah, they tell Baymax how to react," _Hiro explained. _"Together, they're basically what makes Baymax… well, Baymax."_

"So what you're sayin' is… they're like his heart?" Goofy wondered quizzically.

"Kind of?" Donald ventured even if he wasn't quite sure himself.

At the same time, "Riku" looked over the chip once more, glancing between it and the Darkube cluster above him almost thoughtfully. "Not quite ready…" he mused, turning away from the group and to the cubes instead. "More then!" With that, he tossed the chip up, right into the Darkubes, which eagerly swallowed it into their ever-shifting form. Without any apparent reason to linger, the unmistakable shadows of a dark corridor began to converge around "Riku", though Sora wasn't about to let him leave so easily without some sort of explanation at the very least.

"Riku!" He rushed forward to catch him, though the dark corridor disappeared before he could even get close. And yet, while Sora continued anxiously glancing around for any signs of "Riku" reappearing, the others were met with a much more urgent sight instead.

As if reinvigorated by the attack chip that had just been fed to it, the Darkubes' form shifted once more, reshaping themselves over and over again as they took on a sharp, warning glow. The members of Big Hero 6 all took up fighting stances, Donald and Goofy doing the same, especially as the Darkubes lashed out for their first attack. And yet, if there was one thing none of them could have seen coming, it was the sheer speed of that attack as its tendrils all whipped down toward the young heroes at once. It brutally knocked just about each of them aside before any of them had so much of a chance to retaliate, though fortunately, they didn't have to as Baymax did so for them.

The robot rocketed forward, his sturdy armor allowing him to take more than a few heavy hits from the Darkubes as he collided with the bulk of the cluster in an attempt at striking the core buried somewhere within it. And yet, that seemed to do little as the Darkubes reacted harshly, tossing Baymax away with little effort.

"_Oh no," _was all the robot had to say just shy of his hard collision with the rooftop, one that fortunately didn't land too much damage to him as much as it did to the roof. Even so, the members of Big Hero 6 all panicked upon seeing Baymax fall, even amidst their attempts to recover from the Darkubes' attack themselves.

"Baymax!" they all shouted in unison, rushing to pick themselves back up and hurry back into the fray. And sure enough, they bravely did so, with Go Go launching her megalev discs as Wasabi fired off a series of quick laser blasts toward the mass in hopes of slicing through its swiftly-moving tendrils. At the same time, Honey Lemon and Fred teamed up to use their respective abilities in tandem to try to freeze the cluster entirely. All valiant efforts that proved to do little against the Darkube's endless, aggressive onslaught.

For their part, Donald and Goofy did their best to aid the cause, sending an ice spell and a shield flying toward the Darkubes respectively. However, they quickly noticed that Sora hadn't joined the fight, even as he seemed every bit ready to do so with his Keyblade held as tightly in his grip as it was. And yet, he had turned away from the ongoing brawl, his sights instead set on the city as he frantically surveyed it, desperate to catch so much as even a glimpse of "Riku" within it.

"Where is he…?" he muttered to himself, dread filling him more and more with each passing second. Even as his companions ran over to his side to interrupt his anxious search.

"Sora, come on!" Donald called urgently. "We have to help the others!"

"Those Darkubes aren't holding back and neither should we!" Goofy agreed just as sternly.

"B-but we need to find Riku!" Sora turned to his companions, distraught. "I-I don't know what happened, but the Organization must have done _something _to him, a-and I can't-we can't just-"

"Aw, don't worry, Sora!" Goofy warmly reassured. "We'll figure out what happened to Riku. And we'll help him too!"

"But right now everyone else needs our help first!" Donald reminded, nodding back to the still-struggling team behind them.

Sora hesitated, torn between searching the city and the much more immediate threat the Darkubes posed. But in the end, he couldn't really argue with his companion's stance, especially as he watched the members of Big Hero 6 all be tossed back by yet another brutal blow. As much as it pained him-and it certainly _did _pain him to think that his best friend might have fallen victim to the Organization's treacherous schemes in such a short, unknown amount of time-"Riku" would just have to wait. "Right," he nodded, resolved as he turned back to the fight. "Let's go."

The trio did exactly that, rushing forward toward the Darkubes, helping their fallen friends back up along the way. Still, it was clear that fatigue and injury was starting to weigh heavily upon the group of young heroes, their morale low in light of the fact that none of their attacks seemed to be doing any sort of damage whatsoever. And yet their spirits were lifted in more ways than one as they watched the trio hurry on ahead to confront the Darkubes in their stead. And as the only absent member of their time finally arrived just in the nick of time.

"Guys! I'm here!" Hiro announced, emerging onto the rooftop from the lower floors of the building's interior. He wasted no time in hurrying to rejoin his teammates, knowing that they'd need all the help they could get in a battle this intense and dangerous. "Is everyone ok?"

"Define 'ok'," Wasabi deadpanned, massaging his sore shoulder.

"We'd be better if we could actually beat this thing once and for all," Go Go said, scowling up at the Darkubes.

"We should be able to if we strike its core," Hiro said, turning to the trio currently attacking the cubes. "Sora! The core's position should be showing up on your AR device now, do you see it?"

Sora paused, though only for a beat, focusing on the AR display, which, sure enough, had pinpointed an exact target, one that was frantically moving around inside of the Darkubes cluster. "Yeah! We'll-"

He stopped short, however, as Darkubes cluster suddenly began to waver. The energy rippling through its massive form strangely stopped entirely, and with it, so too did their movements. All at once, the cluster began to fall apart, cubes spilling from it and leaving nothing hoving in its place other than a single, larger, dark red cube: the core.

"What? It stopped?" Donald frowned, confused.

"Do ya reckon this might be some kind of trap?" Goofy asked, eyeing the core suspiciously.

"I don't want to wait to find out," Sora said, charging forward to attack the core. And surprisingly enough, he managed to do so, landing a heavy enough blow to defeat and dismiss the Heartless inhabiting it in one fell swoop.

As the core dissipated, the attack chip also fell out of it, skidding across the roof and ultimately coming to a stop on the far side of it, in the direct line of sight of Big Hero 6. "Baymax…" Hiro sighed wistfully, knowing exactly what, or rather _who _had been lost alongside that chip in the first place. And yet, unlike the chip, he showed no signs of returning. Even so, Hiro couldn't help but rush forward to reclaim it all the same, to, at the very least, hold onto one small remnant of his lost friend all the same.

Yet just before he could, another hand happened to reach in to take the chip instead.

"Oh, this isn't for you," "Riku's" tone was calm as he snatched it away. "At least… not until we're done."

Still, Hiro lashed out, wanting nothing more than the chip as he swung a fist in an attempt to take it back. "Riku" easily dodged the impromptu attack, however, deftly leaping away before making a solid landing atop the building's HVAC unit, in full view of all the others. And as soon as Sora saw him, he didn't hesitate to make an attempt to try to make _some _sort of sense out of a situation that, by all accounts, didn't seem to make any at all.

"Riku, i-is that… _really _you?" he asked, admittedly nervous, especially as "Riku" looked down at him with an icy, leering grin. "Why do you look like that?"

"Looks are deceiving," "Riku" replied evenly. "But the heart? It never lies. Come on, Sora. You _know _it's me."

Sora couldn't help but flinch at this, "Riku's" all-too-familiar teasing tone filling him with doubts he wished he could shake. Doubts that he _forced _himself to shake as he tried to reason, really more with himself than anyone else. "I know Riku wouldn't do this. Not without a good reason."

"A reason?" "Riku" chuckled lightly. "When did that ever matter? We've been trying to one-up each other ever since we were kids."

"W-what…?" The mention of their childhood spent together caught Sora off guard more than anything else could have. A childhood filled with memories that were so precious to both of them that they couldn't be faked or replicated. Which meant that this _had _to be the real Riku, and yet... some small, persistent part of Sora's heart knew that couldn't possibly be the case. As much as he looked and sounded and even somewhat acted like Riku, the aura and intentions surrounding _this _Riku were dark, malicious, and cruel. A far cry from the calm, kind, and caring heart he'd always known the _real _Riku to have.

It seemed as though Donald and Goofy shared his suspicions, for sure enough the pair leapt forward to their young, shaken companion's defense. "Don't listen to him, Sora!" Donald boldly exclaimed.

"That coat means he's with Organization XIII!" Goofy added, shield raised. "And _that _means he's not really Riku!"

"N-no, that's right…" Sora said softly, still awash in a mix of dread and doubts and rising hope that were all starting to become too much to bear. "H-he couldn't be. Riku would _never-_"

"Never join the Organization?" the other Riku finished, having overheard him. "Then maybe you don't really know me as well as you _thought_. Then again, it's not like I can really blame you. You don't seem to know _yourself _that well either, Sora."

"What are you talking about?" Sora asked, trying his best not to let just how anxious and uneasy this entire encounter was making him show. "I know myself just fine."

"So you say," the other Riku smirked. "But if that's true, then what's taking you so long? You already know you're bound to join our side one way or another; so why don't you just speed things along for everyone and just do it already?"

"Not this again…" By now, Sora had grown quite frustrated with contending with this Riku, whether he be real or fake, especially as he served to remind him, yet again, of the very fate he was absolutely determined to avoid at all costs. "How many times do I have to tell all of you? I will never, _ever _be part of the Organization, and neither would Riku! Which is why I know that, whoever you are, you're _not _him!"

The other Riku simply scowled down at Sora for a moment, seemingly unamused before he broke into a small, confident smirk. "Smarter than you look. But if I'm really a fake, then what does that make you, Sora? You're going around, acting like you're one of the guardians of light, but between that scar and those cracks on your Keyblade, I'd say you've got more of the mark of a seeker of darkness instead. So then, who's _really _pretending to be something they're not around here?"

Such a cruel, callous remark was more than enough to push Sora over the edge, something that Donald and Goofy picked up on from the severe expression on his face alone. But what neither of them did see was the aura of darkness and light, mingled together as it began to mist over his Keyblade-bearing hand. "S-Sora…?" Goofy ventured, though neither him nor Donald really had much of a chance at calming their young companion down.

Instead, Sora acted on his rising anger, letting out a loud, furious shout as he leapt forward, his Keyblade ready to strike the other Riku as he easily allowed himself to forget the resemblance this duplicate even bore to his best friend. The attack didn't land, however, as the other Riku sidestepped out of the way before calling upon his own darkened Keyblade to evenly meet Sora's next strike.

"_Enough_!" Sora shouted harshly, sending the imposter a hateful glare. "Who are you-_really_!? Why are you even doing any of this?! Are you after the Key?"

"Of course, I am," the other Riku scoffed, rolling his eyes as he blocked another heavy swing. "Why else would I even bother coming here in the first place if I wasn't? We've let you get away with far too many of them already. But this time, that's all about to _change_!" The other Riku lashed out, swinging his Keyblade out wide and fast and catching Sora in a forceful blow backward in the process. He landed back onto the roof itself, Donald and Goofy rushing to his side as they all glared up at the other Riku just as he pulled the attack chip out once again.

"A heart, recreated from data," he began, going off on a seemingly unrelated tangent entirely. "Who would've thought it'd be this easy to create? Still, I guess it's not that surprising. After all, that walking balloon over there has a 'heart'," he cast an uncaring nod over at Baymax, who lingered, protective and close, by Hiro's side. "Or at least that's the nonsense I'm supposed to believe."

"Where'd you get that chip?" Hiro spoke up, stepping forward. "That's mine, _I _made it!"

"Oh, well, I'm sorry about that," the other Riku's tone was dry, unsympathetic. "But I promise I'll put it right back where I found it."

Hiro's eyes widened at this, especially as he remembered exactly _where _he'd left that chip to begin with. "W-what do you mean?"

"You'll see," the other Riku grinned as he turned to leave. "Anyway, I think I'll be getting back to work now. Got a certain _Key _to track down. Unless, of course, you all beat me to it first."

On that oddly ominous note, the other Riku disappeared into the darkness once more, much to Sora and Hiro's shared protest. "Wait!" they called after him, though of course, it was to no avail. He was gone, and had taken the attack chip right along with him, his purpose confirmed, but his plan to achieve it still completely unknown.

"We gotta stop him!" Hiro urged as he turned to Sora first, then to his team. "Guys, we-" He stopped short as he glanced over his friends, all of whom were clearly beleaguered and beaten by the preceding battle. Baymax did his best to tend to their various injuries, but even so, the robot's healthcare intel was easily able to confirm that they'd all heal up much better off of the field.

"_You are all suffering from acute exhaustion," _Baymax noted. _"I recommend rest."_

"Rest? No way!" Sora countered, still clearly on edge even now that the other Riku was long gone. "We have to go after him and figure out what he's up to and stop him from getting the Key and-"

"Sora," Hiro interrupted much more calmly. "Baymax is right. We won't stand a chance out here if we don't take some time to heal up first. Let's regroup."

The tired members of Big Hero 6 all readily agreed to this course of action, all of them following Hiro as he began to lead the way back to the garage. Donald and Goofy started to do the same, at least until they noticed Sora lingering behind.

"Sora," Goofy began, his tone and expression both fretful. "What that other Riku said about your scar and your Keyblade…"

"You don't think it could be true," Donald finished, worried yet stern. "Do you?"

"_I don't know," _is what Sora _would _have said if he was being honest with both his companions and himself. Because in truth, he _didn't _know, just as much as he didn't know if the darkness on his hands or his newfound power had anything to do with the Organization's claim to his heart either. And yet, outside of a few factors that, as far as he knew, might not even be connected after all, what other proof did he have outside of a single nightmare or the persistent harmful rhetoric the Organization's members always seemed to be so skilled at? The sparse scraps of evidence he seemed to be showing now paled in comparison to his own hope that it was all a lie, as well as his willingness to do everything in his power to resist it even if it wasn't. And as far as he was concerned, that was all his companions really needed to know too. At least, for the moment.

"No," he turned to them, his expression a solid mask of unyielding resolve. "Not for a minute. He was doing the same thing Ansem and Xemnas and even Xehanort did before. They're just trying to trip us up, distract us with something that isn't even real so we'll waste our time worrying about that while _they _get the rest of the Keys."

"But what if it _is _real?" Donald pressed apprehensively.

"It's _not_," Sora countered as evenly as he could. Even so, he didn't look either of them in the eyes as he said it. "I _know _it's not. I-I mean, if it really _was _true and I knew it was, then wouldn't I at least tell you guys about it? I mean, the scar and my Keyblade were one thing, but I _wouldn't _keep something like _that _from you. You both know that just as much as I do." And yet they didn't, because he _hadn't_. And the mere thought of that alone made every word he'd said to them feel like an increasing weight of guilt bearing down upon him, threatening to crush him completely in the process, but a weight he knew he had to bear all the same.

"Mm, maybe you _do _have a point…" Goofy noted somewhat hesitantly.

"I do," Sora nodded, desperate to end this conversation as quickly as possible as he pressed on ahead. "Now, c'mon. Let's get all rested up so we can _finally _get that Key!"

As tired as they were, Donald and Goofy didn't argue, the trio all leaving the rooftop behind so they could catch up with Big Hero 6. And yet, as they did, none of them happened to see the pair standing silently in the shadows of another building, observing from afar and waiting for their own moment to finally make their move.

* * *

A solemn sort of feeling permeated the garage the next morning, the previous night's chaotic events weighing heavy on most of them, even after resting and refreshing themselves anew. Still, not everyone's spirits hadn't entirely bottomed out yet, as Fred spoke up first to hopefully raise the morale of the forlorn group.

"C'mon, you guys!" he boldly leapt forward. "What's with all the long faces? Did you forget that we WON!?"

"Fred, not now," Go Go shook her head disapprovingly.

"...You said his name is Riku, right?" Hiro started the conversation over again, looking to Sora inquisitively. "And you know him?"

"Yeah-well, I know _a "_him"," Sora said, an undeniable edge of bitterness in his tone at the mere thought of the other Riku.

"That one is a fake!" Donald stomped his foot petulantly.

"And that fake one's with Organization XIII," Goofy explained. "That group of bad guys we were tellin' you about earlier."

"Ok, so _assuming _that all makes sense," Wasabi said, still a bit lost. "How'd he get Hiro's chip?"

"And what did he mean about recreating a heart?" Honey Lemon added, just as confused.

"And why'd he send those Darkubes to attack us in the first place?" Go Go finished, wanting to get to the bottom of all of this.

"Well, for starters, he's after the same thing we are: the Key," Sora began. "So I _guess _the Darkubes had something to do with that? But I have no idea what he meant with the whole 'recreating a heart from data' thing. These guys-they show up, and instead of fighting fair and square, they go for the heart and say things to try and get under your skin." He let out a small, somewhat ashamed sigh, knowing that the other Riku had done exactly that to him the previous night, his sharp words cutting far deeper than he should have ever let them. "They're cowards. And now they're doing it to you too. And that's _our _fault…"

Donald and Goofy mirrored Sora's disappointment, but it was something Hiro didn't necessarily accept as he spoke up with newfound hope instead. "No. This could be good. That chip might finally be able to give me some answers."

"You said you made it, right?" Sora asked, curious.

"Yeah," Hiro nodded, his tone turning somewhat somber as he glanced over at the robot standing alongside him. "This Baymax-he's actually the second model. Uh, no offense, Baymax."

"_I am a robot. I cannot be offended," _Baymax assured.

Hiro offered him a brief smile at this, though it ultimately faded as he began to divulge the rest of his solemn tale. "It's… a long story. But the first Baymax and the chip I made vanished into another dimension along with the microbots. But now, the chip's back… So… the _first _Baymax might be back too."

"Oh, Hiro…" Honey Lemon spoke softly. "Do you really think…?"

"I-I… don't really know," Hiro closed his eyes, shaking his head gently. "But…" He trailed off into a small, sad sigh, the mere thought of seeing the original Baymax, the Baymax that _Tadashi _had built, filling him with far too many thoughts and feelings to even count.

"_Those who suffer from a loss require support from friends and loved ones," _Baymax pointed out, looking to the group gathered before him so that they could offer Hiro just that. And yet, they didn't get much of a chance to as the entire garage was rocked by a shockwave that likewise shook the entire city as a whole.

"What was that!?" Go Go demanded as she and the others managed to steady themselves.

Hiro wasted no time in finding out, rolling over to his computer to dig up whatever information he could. And that information came quickly in the form of another news bulletin, reporting that sure enough, the Darkubes had returned in full force and were besetting San Fransokyo and its innocent residents once more.

"It's time to finish this," Hiro said firmly as he turned to face the others. "We're taking those Darkubes down, for real this time."

"And we're getting that Key!" Sora added, just as resolved.

"The final battle is upon us!" Fred dramatically proclaimed as everyone geared up to set out to face that battle head-on. "Who will win? The band of brave and noble heroes? Or the dastardly forces of _evil_?! Let's FIND OUT!"

* * *

Just as they had the night before, the Darkubes had clustered together atop another skyscraper, the cluster's core safely tucked away inside it. And yet, unlike before, the group that came to confront it felt much more prepared, more determined than ever to put an end to its violent siege on the city once and for all.

"Hope it's learned some new tricks," Go Go remarked as they made their approach toward it.

"Yeah, now it's gotta face _all _of us," Wasabi added just as confidently.

"Together!" Honey Lemon chimed in brightly.

"Freddie wants to DESTROY!" Fred exclaimed, zealous and eager.

"_Our probability of success is-"_

"You don't have to crunch the numbers, Baymax," Hiro interrupted with a determined grin. "It's not the sum of our parts that matters; it's the sum of our _hearts_."

"Yeah," Sora warmly agreed, ready to face whatever tricks the Organization might throw at them next. So long as he had his friends, both old and new, to stand by his side through it all.

"The sum of your 'hearts', huh? Which adds up to _what_?"

As soon as they heard the other Riku's voice, the entirety of the group was instantly on their guard, though his position was largely unknown. At least until he moved to dive down from the wind turbine he was standing on far above the rooftop they were on. "Show me!" he challenged, slicing his Keyblade across the Darkubes' core as he flew past it. While he landed squarely on the roof, the Darkubes immediately fell apart once more, a tactic that threw everyone off even more than they already were.

"Almost there…" the other Riku held the attack chip up, a shadowy aura still surrounding it as he kicked a few of the fallen Darkubes aside carelessly. "This pile of junk collected the data we needed. The terror of being attacked without warning… the despair of having no place to run… the longing for vengeance… All emotions that, if put to the right use, could just end up leading us to more than a few of those Keys…"

And just like that, the other Riku's plan suddenly made much more sense. The Organization clearly knew, just as well as anyone, that the Keys to the Kingdom were tied to emotions. Which was why collecting data, doing their research on the emotions that could bring them about, was something that seemed right up their alley. And yet, the realization hardly satisfied Sora, especially since he'd been the one to gather three of them so far firsthand.

"But a heart's more than that!" he countered firmly, the others all agreeing as they chimed in.

"It's working together!" Wasabi brazenly proclaimed.

"Smiling at something funny!" Donald and Goofy chipped in together.

"Trusting friends," Hiro added, smiling to his own.

"In every heart," Sora finished just as resolved as he'd begun. "There's _hope_. And that hope is the reason why you guys will _never _win!"

The other Riku said nothing to this, instead taking a pause to glance around, almost as if he was waiting for something. Ultimately though, he let out a disappointed sigh, shaking his head as he looked back to the chip in his hand. "Still nothing? I would have thought that an inspirational outburst like that would have definitely gotten that Key to show up. Oh well. Guess some _other _emotion is the ticket instead. And if that didn't work," His already ominous grin widened as he summoned a dark corridor high above him. "Then I'm sure _this _will bring plenty of emotions-and that Key-out instead…"

As the dark void filled in the sky, it also began to pull the fallen Darkubes to it, eagerly swallowing each of them up. And while everyone else watched with growing dread and confusion as to what this turn of events could bring, the other Riku readily commanded his sinister intentions onward. "First, we need a vessel," he said as the Darkubes continued to surge into the portal to retrieve just that. It didn't take them very long either, for soon enough they re-emerged from the dark corridor in a thick, heavy amalgamation, one that shimmered with harsh and heavy crimson energy.

"What's going on?" Go Go asked, staring up at the cluster suspiciously.

"Another Darkube form?" Honey Lemon wondered, confused.

"Doesn't look as bad as the last one," Fred noted, somewhat relieved.

"But it could be a trick!" Goofy warned, both him and Donald as well-aware of the Organization's usual malicious tactics as Sora was.

Hiro, on the other hand, was the first to notice the Darkubes' cluster starting to diminish a bit, revealing at least a piece of what they had gathered: a large, inflated white hand, one that he recognized instantly. And as soon as he did, a sheer spark of both fear and grief coursed through him as he realized exactly what was about to happen here. A spark that only grew as he watched the others all ready their weapons for the inevitable fight ahead.

"W-wait!" he interjected anxiously. "That's… Baymax. The first one."

"What?!" Sora quickly glanced back at the Darkubes cluster as it began to peel away more and more. And as it did, it fully, finally revealed that Hiro was indeed right, even if none of the others wished he was.

For the Darkubes had certainly recovered the original Baymax, though in the process, they'd twisted his robotic form with the very same sort of darkness they were composed of. Much like the second model, he was clad in similar steady armor, though instead of a heroic crimson, this armor was painted in a shade of cold shadows, threatening horns poking up from both his shoulder pads and his helmet. And even more alarming was the mass of Darkcubes encasing one of his arms, still very much alive with their usual violent energy, even if their new host didn't seem to be at all.

Needless to say the other members of Big Hero 6 were just as shocked as Hiro was to see the original Baymax brought back in such a twisted way for such a horrific purpose. And even as the newer Baymax stood loyally by his side, Hiro couldn't help but look to the model he'd thought he'd lost forever, knowing that this was the _last _way he would have _ever _wanted to see him again. "Baymax…"

"Don't bother," the other Riku scoffed, clearly not done rubbing salt in the wound yet. "This puppet has lost his heart. He won't wake up."

"He's _not _a puppet!" Hiro brazenly ran forward, refusing to let this cruelty go on any longer. "Baymax-he's like my _family_! Please! Just… just give me back my friend!"

Of course, the other Riku simply regarded this plea with another callous sneer, though his response did admittedly caught Hiro, as well as the others, quite off guard. "Yes… I _did _promise I'd put this back where I found it, right?" He held the attack chip up, allowing darkness to overtake it as it pulled it toward the lifeless original Baymax. His otherwise empty data port opened to receive it, sliding the chip in before sealing itself shut, allowing the robot to awaken once more. Though just like his sinister armor, as his eyes lit up in a bright, bitter blood red glow, it was clear that this Baymax was clearly just a twisted shadow of the caring healthcare companion he was supposed to be.

"That Key should be making an appearance any second now," the other Riku confidently mused. "Especially since _you're _going to be the one to make it show up, Sora."

"For you?" Sora scoffed resiliently. "Yeah right."

"But you've already gotten your hands on three so far, haven't you?" the other Riku asked knowingly. "It's almost a guarantee by now that you'll be able to access the next one too, especially now. After all, sadness, loss, they're just as powerful emotions as any, definitely powerful to bring a Key out _somewhere_, so why not here? Which is why you're going to make those emotions happen… by destroying Hiro's friend right in front of him."

With that, the other Riku vanished once more into another dark corridor, though not before Sora rushed forward to try to stop him and his vicious tricks in their tracks. "Wait!" He stopped short, however, the moment the other Baymax jolted into action, his wings and thrusters both propelling him into the air at a breakneck speed. Without hesitation, the members of Big Hero 6 leapt into action to counter him, especially as he made an aggressive beeline for one of their own.

"Hiro!" the young heroes all shouted in worried unison. Not caring about the fact that the foe they now had to face was indeed a form of Baymax, they all leapt into action to stop him. Though with the Darkubes assisting him, they didn't get very far before they were all flung aside carelessly. The trio hurried to Hiro's defense next, having a bit more luck in holding him back, though he still pushed them back aggressively. At least until the second model flew in with a heavy blow to knock his dark double aside, sending him flying over the side of the building, though he didn't stay down for long.

Baymax's dark double slowly hovered back onto the rooftop, the Darkubes clinging to his hand now formed into the shape of a sinister claw. Though Donald and Goofy rushed forward to momentarily fend off the threat, the members of Big Hero 6 all hesitated to fight a former iteration of their mutual friend, as Sora hung back alongside them.

"Tell us, Hiro," he glanced over at the still rather distraught boy. "What should we do?"

It was a question Hiro didn't really have much of an answer to, at least not at first. And yet, as he took another look between the two Baymaxes-the one standing at his side and the one that no longer could-ultimately, he knew exactly what needed to be done. "Baymax means everything to me," his tone was steady and stern as he stepped forward. "But that chip _isn't _who he is. I already made this mistake once before. Tadashi wouldn't want there to be a Baymax that hurts people." Hiro paused briefly, though his treasured memories of his brother, the desire to make him proud even still, pushed him forward, just as they always did. "Sora… he _has _to be stopped."

"Ok," Sora firmly agreed. "Then let's do it!"

"Yeah!" the members of Big Hero 6 all cheered in unison. They all rushed forward, weapons at the ready, coming together as a team to save the day, just as they always strived to do. Still, before any of them could attack the dark version of Baymax, he reeled back into the air away from Donald and Goofy's struggling attempts at holding him off. And, without even engaging any of the young heroes running for him, the robot flew off, plunging down into the city to add onto the already palpable threat the re-emerging Heartless were posing to it. Big Hero 6 wasted no time in chasing after him, intent on putting a stop to this ongoing disaster and, if at all possible, restore the original Baymax back to the way he truly should have been.

Donald and Goofy weren't too far behind the team in heading back down into the city below and Sora was practically running alongside them. At least, until a familiar voice stopped him dead in his tracks. "What's the rush?" the other Riku said as he reappeared on the far side of the roof. "You're in such a hurry to stop that stupid robot, when you _should _be racing to find that Key instead."

"The Key can wait," Sora offered the other Riku a severe glare as he turned to face him, his Keyblade held tight in his grasp. "My friends come first!"

"Tch, typical," the other Riku rolled his eyes. "It's always about your friends, isn't it? Guess it's a real shame then, that they don't really need you. Not like how _you _need to be needed by _them_."

"W-what?" Sora saked, his voice not as steady as he would have liked it to be. "I don't-"

"Don't waste your breath trying to argue," the other Riku interrupted impatiently. "I'm trying to speed this whole thing along for everyone, and you're not helping. So, if you _really _want to help your friends so much, why not tackle this problem at its source?"

Initially, Sora didn't quite pick up on what he meant, though he soon understood as he glanced over the edge of the building he was standing on. Down below, sure enough, his friends were all engaged in a brutal brawl against the other Baymax, a fight that, Sora quickly remembered, had only broken out because of the cruel tactics of the Organization member standing right in front of him. "Great idea," his grip on his Keyblade tightened as he steeled himself for a different battle entirely. "Why _don't _I?"

The other Riku's already constant smirk deepened with some unknown satisfaction as he summoned his own familiar Keyblade. Sora's first swing came right after, one that the other Riku readily dodged as he lashed out with his own, hardly even seeming to care as it was parried away. A few brief, yet sharp clashes between the blades ensured, neither of them landing any real damage as their duel got off to a rhythmic start.

Soon enough, however, the other Riku decided to change the pace up a bit, deftly leaping out of the path of another wide swing to land atop a lower, nearby rooftop instead. Though he was caught off guard by this, Sora didn't hesitate to give chase, jumping over to meet him Keyblade first in a strike that only struck the roof itself as the other Riku seamlessly teleported to another building entirely.

"Augh! Stay still, will you?!" Sora shouted, running after him once more. The other Riku said nothing as he easily dodged yet another attack, though strangely all the while, he seemed to be making no effort to land any of his own. Instead, he was more content in letting Sora continue to chase him, the two of them bounding above the city in a rapid, frenetic pace in a pursuit that seemed to be going absolutely nowhere at all. Much to Sora's quickly growing frustration.

"What are you doing?!" he yelled, finally pausing as he watched the other Riku reappear atop the building right in front of him. "If you want a fight so badly, then just _fight _me already!"

"I will, as soon as you actually make it worth my while with a _real _challenge," the other Riku sneered, unimpressed. "I thought after all this time you'd finally _learn _how to put up a good fight, Sora. But here you are, still running around in circles and swinging your weapon around like it's some toy. Just like you always used to do when we were kids."

This callous comment alone was enough to infuriate Sora even more than he already was just by the unfolding fight alone. And this time, he didn't hesitate to make that fury known as his Keyblade _finally _landed against the other Riku's in a heavy, brutal swing, one that he repeated over and over again, each in rapid, heated succession. "Stop pretending to be him!" he demanded, his Keyblade landing in perfect percussion with every word. "You're NOT him and you'll _never _be him! No matter how hard you try to act like it! Y-you're just… just a FAKE!"

Something about this fierce proclamation finally broke the calm composure the other Riku usually carried. Bitter rage flooded in to take its place, rage that he thoroughly acted upon as he sent Sora flying back hard with a single swing of his sharpened Keyblade. In the process, the AR device went flying off of his face, thrown off the side of the building by the sheer force of the attack until it was completely lost to the city streets below.

"I am _not _a fake," the other Riku's voice was surprisingly quiet, though still shaking with anger as he slowly approached Sora to come in for another attack. "The only reason you're even saying that is because you know… You _know _that I'm better than you. I always have been… and I always _will _be. Without your friends to always be there to hold your hand, to hold your _heart_, then it's _so _easy to see just how _weak _you really are. Face it, Sora, you're _nothing_."

As that constant goading, _grating _grin took its place on the other Riku's face once more, something inside Sora suddenly _snapped_, completely shattering any form of restraint he might have had against someone who looked _so _much like one of his closest friends. In an instant, he was on his feet, dark and light energy blooming around both of his hands, around practically his entire body as he lunged forward, letting out a furious shout as he raised his Keyblade high for an unforgiving attack. And strangely, it was an attack the other Riku didn't even try to block or dodge, instead almost welcoming the devastating blow, even as it knocked him back brutally.

The other Riku landed on a lower rooftop, hitting it hard and painfully, yet that pain hardly even seemed to matter to him as he maintained his steady, cocky grin, even as Sora landed on the rooftop just a few feet away from him. For his own part, Sora was still clearly livid, his Keyblade shaking with the rage that was rippling through his hands as an uneven aura of both shadows and light continued to envelop him all the while.

"So," he began, his tone uncharacteristically icy as he aimed the tip of his Keyblade at his foe. "Who's weak _now_?"

The other Riku simply smirked at this, hardly phased by Sora's practically vicious attack or his unrelenting manner as he noticed something truly satisfying. "_You _are," he accompanied his short, ominous answer with a simple nod over at the windowed wall to their left. Though quite suspicious, Sora hesitantly followed his gaze there, only to find a sight that seemed to bring everything to a grinding halt.

For standing there, etched into the glass was indeed his own reflection. Complete with stark, unmistakable _golden _eyes that stared right back into his.

Sora stumbled backward the moment he saw it, blinking hard in the hopes that he was merely seeing things, yet when he looked again, his now horrifically yellow eyes remained. He even went as far as to glance down at his Keyblade, catching another glimpse of his reflection, albeit a cracked one, in its silver surface. And even there, his eyes were still painted that awful shade of amber, not a single speck of the blue he knew _should _have been there instead to be found.

"W-what…?" he choked, his already racing heart picking up even more as he happened to look down at his hands. His Keyblade disappeared as he frantically pulled one of his gloves off, only to find something that nearly made him sick. The small blot of darkness that had only really ever rested on his palm before had spread, seeping down past his wrist and onto his arm as it began to leak onto the other side of his hand as well. The case was exactly the same for his other hand as well, both of them now entrenched in the shadowy evidence of a secret he'd been desperately trying to hide from everyone. Including himself.

"That's some new power you have there, Sora," the other Riku taunted as he began to pick himself up, leaning against his Keyblade for support. Despite his injuries, a cold, knowing grin still hung on his face, one that Sora barely even bothered to regard as he opted to fearfully stare at his reflection once more. "But I guess you didn't know: all power comes with a _price_."

A price, and a heavy one at that. For while he'd been freely, _eagerly _using that new power, desperately feeding off of the illusion of momentary strength it had provided him with, he'd failed to see what that power was really doing to him in return. What it was costing him, what it was taking from him and what it was filling the holes it left behind with instead. And only now that he could clearly see the horrendous effects of the dark pall cast over his heart that power, a power he'd so willingly, foolishly used, did he realize that it wasn't the surprising blessing he'd thought it was at all. It was a _curse_.

His breathing shuddered harshly, his darkened hands held close to him as he took a shaky step backward. Another look over at his reflection revealed his eyes were still so yellow, so unlike his own that they nearly seemed to make him look like someone else entirely. He'd all but forgotten the other Riku as his own rapid thoughts soon gave rise to panic. He finally tore his gaze away from his reflection, back toward the city instead for any signs of Donald and Goofy, out of a sheer, desperate need to have _someone _to lean on at a moment like this. Yet he didn't find them in the streets below, the fight they and the members of Big Hero 6 were all caught up in taking place on the other side of town entirely. And in light of that, his hand twitched toward his pocket, toward where the Gummiphone was to be exact, knowing that he had to tell Riku, the _real _Riku, that something was wrong. He had to tell him, he _promised _he would, and yet-

He had no idea what he'd even say. Or what he'd show him. Or what excuse he'd be able to give as to _why _he'd kept this hidden for so long because when it came right down to it, Sora knew he had no good excuse. He'd secreted the warning signs away, pretended as though they didn't even exist for so long now that he'd essentially convinced _himself _that there was nothing to worry about. But now, clearly, there was_, _even if he didn't know just how severe or serious or what it even really _was _to begin with. The only thing he really did know was that he had to tell them the truth: Donald, Goofy, _Riku_-they all _had _to know. He had to tell them… and yet he couldn't. He couldn't bear the thought of genuine fear sparking in Donald and Goofy's faces if he showed them his new dangerous power. He couldn't bear the thought of hearing the disappointment, possibly even _anger _in Riku's voice for him barring the truth he should have known about from the very beginning from him for so long. He couldn't bear the thought of all of this pointing toward his worst fear being true, the thought that his heart truly was starting the long, agonizing, endless fall into darkness, the thought that Xehanort had been _right _after all.

The thought of becoming the thirteenth vessel.

And that single, solitary thought alone was exactly why he _needed _to tell them… and exactly why he _couldn't_.

As awash in his frantic thoughts as he was, Sora didn't even notice as the cityscape suddenly shifted around him, dissipating into a warm, golden aura instead. In fact, he hardly even paid any attention to the familiar, gentle voice that called to him once more, posing yet another question, just as it had done three times before.

"_Is there conflict in your heart?" _

He barely even felt cognizant as he offered his answer, albeit not a verbal one this time around as he simply nodded, unable to deny the surging tidal wave of conflict crashing over his heart repeatedly. Yet for his answer he was still rewarded as the light disappeared, and left a shimmering Key behind in its wake.

It was only as he felt that Key's weight in his hand that Sora let out a small gasp, finally breaking out of his thoughts to glance down at the prize he'd somehow won. And yet, he didn't even have a chance to revel in the fact that he'd earned it before it fell out of his grip entirely.

The attack was so sudden there was no way he could have seen it coming. A blast of heavy dark energy struck him squarely in the back, sending him flying across the rooftop and ripping the Key out of his grip in the process. Pain lanced through his shoulder as he landed on it, rolling sharply before skidding to a stop just shy of the roof's edge. The Key fell only about a foot or so in front of him, and even as disoriented as he was by the unforeseen blow, he still tried to reach for it all the same. That is, until his approach was stopped by a sudden foot slamming down hard onto his hand, crushing it to the ground in the process.

"Hm, looks like you dropped this," the other Riku remarked with a dry smirk as he picked the fallen Key up. "Maybe _I _should hold onto it for safekeeping instead."

"N-no!" Sora protested, struggling to pick himself back up and reclaim the Key before it was too late. "Y-you can't-"

"Oh, don't worry, Sora," the other Riku proudly slung the Key over his shoulder as he called upon a dark corridor to take his leave. "I'm sure you'll see this Key again… once you've finally taken your proper place within the Organization that is."

"S-stop!" Sora shouted, rising as much as he could to do something, _anything _to keep the Key from falling into the wrong hands like this. He even went as far as firing off a haphazard blast of light and dark energy, as much as he hated to even think about that treacherous sort of magic anymore, but the other Riku easily deflected it by using the innate power of the Key now held in his possession.

"Still, thanks for all your help, Sora," the other Riku glanced over his shoulder one final time. "We couldn't have gotten it without _you_."

With nothing more to say, he disappeared into the darkness, the Key going right along with him. "Wait! _Please_!" Despite his body still aching from that last attack, Sora forced himself to his feet, desperate to follow, to take the Key back, to finally put an _end _to all of this. And yet, before he could even get close, the dark corridor disappeared into thin air.

And just like that, the Key was gone.

Sora collapsed to his knees in the very place the dark portal had once been, his eyes wide in as he stared at the rooftop beneath him. And with that disbelief came a torrent of countless other emotions: shock, anger, grief, any of which would have certainly been strong enough to bring a Key about… that is, if this world's hadn't already been claimed. And yet, what rose above all of the rest was an unshakable sense of _shame_, so deep and heavy that Sora felt as though he was drowning in it and being crushed by it all at once. And as engulfed in that shame as he was, he didn't even notice the trio that was arriving on the roof group to meet him.

"Sora!" Donald and Goofy called in worried unison, jumping down out of Baymax's grip to rush over to him. The robot landed after they did, though he likewise joined them in hurring over to Sora's side, all three of them immediately noticing just how distraught he clearly was.

"_Sora, you have sustained a heavy blow to your shoulder," _Baymax pointed out evenly. _"In addition, your abnormally high heart rate, involuntary full-body trembling, and shortness of breath are all signs of distress that point towards an oncoming panic attack."_

Donald and Goofy's already immense concern only doubled for their young companion upon hearing this, especially as they realized that, sure enough, he was shivering uncontrollably, his breaths coming out in sharp, harsh gasps as tears started to well up in his eyes-which, unbeknownst to him, had somehow turned back to their usual blue yet again. "S-Sora, what's wrong?" Goofy asked softly, both him and Donald placing comforting hands on their young companion's shuddering shoulders.

"Why'd you go off on your own like that?" Donald asked just as worriedly. "What happened?"

Sora didn't bother looking up at either of them, shaking his head as a few of his building tears grew dangerously close to falling. "I-I… I lost it…" he finally muttered, his voice so tight and small that it was barely even audible.

"Lost what?" Goofy asked, confused.

"T-the Key," Sora struggled to even admit it, choking back a sob as he did so. "I had it, it was _right here_," he glanced down at his hands, admittedly glad he'd thought to slip his gloves back on before his companions arrived. "B-but then… R-Riku-no, _not _Riku-caught me by surprise a-and took it and I tried to stop him, b-but I couldn't-he just… I-I… t-the Key… it's… _gone_…"

Donald and Goofy exchanged a forlorn glance at this, both of them instantly understanding just why Sora was so upset. After all, the loss of a Key to the Organization was something they hadn't faced before, and after already claiming three of them so far, it seemed as though the chances of it ever happening were slim. In many ways, they'd grown content, complacent in the idea that they'd find them all that they never even bothered to consider what might happen if one of them happened to slip out of their hands. A possibility that had since become a frightening reality.

"Aw, Sora…" Donald began, genuinely sympathetic. "We… we're sorry we weren't there to help you…"

"B-but don't worry!" Goofy encouraged. "We've still got three Keys and the Organization only has one-well, 'least as far as we know…"

"One…" Sora softly repeated as he finally stood, his hands balling into tight fists as his grief gave way to anger. "O-one that they should have _never _gotten in the first place… but they _did_. A-and I just… I _let _it happen! Don't you guys get it?! This is all _my _fault!"

"No, it's not!" Donald protested firmly.

"Sora, we know ya didn't mean to lose the Key," Goofy agreed. "A-and like Donald said, maybe if _we _had been there to help you, that other Riku wouldn't have gotten away with it in the first place!"

"Well it doesn't matter now…" Sora said glumly, absently wiping a few of his pressing tears away. "No matter whose fault it is, it's still gone…"

At this, Baymax suddenly spoke up, a hint of what almost seemed like genuine concern entering his otherwise steady robotic tone. _"Sora, Hiro asked me to be your temporary healthcare companion. That means that you are my patient. I would like to help."_

Sora let out a small, sad sigh, glancing away from the robot as he rubbed his sore shoulder. "Thanks, Baymax, b-but… I don't think there's anything any of us can do about this…"

Even so, Baymax persisted, doing so in a way that caught Sora completely off guard as the robot's steady arms folded him into a secure, comforting embrace. _"You will be alright," _Baymax calmly assured. _"It is okay to cry. Crying is a natural response to pain and loss."_

Upon hearing this, Sora was unable to stop himself from caving completely, his held-back tears finally falling as he tightly returned Baymax's hug in full. Donald and Goofy were quick to join in, more than willing to offer their dejected young companion some much-needed support at a time of crisis such as this.

Still, it ultimately didn't last too long as the immense clamor of the battle still raging on down in the city streets below soon carried up to the top of the building they were all on. As the group hug disbanded, they all headed over to the rooftop's edge to see what was happening. Sure enough, the members of Big Hero 6 were all still deeply embroiled in their fight against the other Baymax, a fight they were clearly struggling to win. With the dangerous edge the Darkubes gave him, the dark robot was practically unstoppable, flanked by a sizable army of Heartless that continued to swarm the city on all sides. As spread thin as they were, the young heroes were mutually having a hard time standing strong against this overwhelming force, to the point that it was clear they wouldn't be able to hold out much longer against them.

And as Sora watched all this unfold, he readily let his tears fade away, allowing them to be replaced by a sense of righteous resolve to set things right. "The Organization already won once today," he began sternly. "But we _can't _let them win twice. You guys with me?"

"Yeah!" Donald cheered, more than glad to see that Sora's usual verve was back.

"Of course!" Goofy chimed in just as daringly.

"_Yes," _Baymax answered simply.

"Good," Sora finally smiled as he turned back to the action down below. "Donald, Goofy, you guys go help the others. Baymax, you're with me. Let's finish this."

The others all firmly agreed with this plan as they all set off, Donald and Goofy hurrying to get back down into the streets to offer Big Hero 6 some much needed assistance. At the same time, Baymax rocketed forward, allowing Sora to leap onto him, Keyblade summoned and ready, as the two took flight to face the other Baymax head on.

It didn't take them very long to find the dark robot either as he hovered high above the rest of the action going on down below. Still, what he didn't see coming was Sora and Baymax as they came in for a surprise attack, the former firing off a heavy fire spell while the later pummeled into his dark double with a strong, well-timed punch.

The other Baymax reeled back, but shook the pair of blows off quickly, retaliating by launching a burst of Darkubes at the pair, an attack that Baymax took the brunt of, shielding Sora from it and in the process allowing him to fire off another round of magic at the dark bot. He made sure to avoid even coming close to using any light or dark magic, knowing just how risky practicing it could now be, so instead, he opted for ice, hoping to freeze the other Baymax's Darkube claw entirely. This tactic proved effective, though only for a brief moment as the cubes easily busted out of the ice to spiral out toward the pair in a heavy, wild swing.

Despite Baymax's best efforts, he wasn't able to completely dodge this attack as the mass of Darkubes struck him hard, sending him flying back across the sky. Likewise, the heavy jolt of the attack was enough to knock Sora off the robot's back entirely, sending him into a freefall toward the city streets far below. Yet instead of panicking, he decided to take advantage of what would have otherwise been a perilous situation as he noticed the other Baymax flying past him toward the ground.

Acting quickly, Sora turned his fall into a dive, his Keyblade pushing him through the air as he used a small aero spell to give him a boost in the right direction. Baymax seemed to understand his intent, flying in after him, but not interfering as Sora willingly fell toward the dark robot. His Keyblade connected with the other Baymax's back squarely, slamming into the dark bot with enough force to break his armor's wings entirely. Unable to keep itself airbound after such a heavy blow, the other Baymax began to plummet just as the second model flew in to safely catch Sora before he could begin falling again.

The pair didn't get very far, however, before Baymax jolted to a sudden stop midair, all thanks to his dark double latching onto his leg with his Darkube claw. The other Baymax threw him down hard, though for his own part, Baymax did the same as he caught the dark bot's leg in a similar tactic on the way down. The two robots grappled with each other as they fell into a rapid plunge from the sky, leaving Sora with no other options than to hold onto Baymax for dear life as the robot wrestled against his dark double.

Fortunately though, Baymax got exactly the edge he needed in this fight as he wisely utilized his rocket fist just in the nick of time. The robot sent it flying right in the face of his dark copy, beating him back and allowing Baymax to finally right himself in the air just before him and Sora hit the ground. In their place, the other Baymax crashed down to it instead, his armor damaged beyond repair as he lay there, unmoving and defeated at last.

With the dark robot downed, the Heartless swarming the city likewise began to die down, allowing the members of Big Hero 6, as well as Donald and Goofy, a chance to rush over to the center of all the action. They arrived just as Sora and Baymax landed before the beaten bot, the battle finally over, though it came with a victory that felt more bittersweet than anything else, in more ways than one.

"Guys…" Sora began breathlessly, almost apologetically as the others all rushed forward, though one led the pack as he made a beeline for the defeated dark bot. "Hiro…"

Hiro stopped short just a few feet shy of the other Baymax, his teammates falling in line right beside him as they looked over their fallen former friend. "So… did we stop him?" Wasabi asked apprehensively.

"Safety mode kicks in if he's put under too much stress," Hiro let out a solemn sigh as he stepped closer to the other Baymax. "So he's probably just in stasis. But… we'll have to destroy the chip if we want to be certain."

"But… are you sure?" Honey Lemon frowned fretfully.

"Yeah, dude," Fred agreed. "You don't need to go _that _far."

"Maybe we can find another way," Go Go suggested, but even so, Hiro wasn't hearing it.

Instead, he gently accessed the other Baymax's data port, hesitating only for a moment as the attack chip slid out of it before he took out of the fallen bot. Darkness still swelled around the chip, yet another reminder of just how much this Baymax had been forcefully morphed and twisted into something he was never meant to be. "It's the right thing to do…" Hiro said, watching as the Darkubes began to dissipate from the other Baymax's arm. In a similar way, the dark armor he'd been wrongfully vested with steadily disappeared as well, vanishing into nothing more than the shadows it had been composed of to begin with. And in the wake of those shadows, all that remained was the simple, white, huggable design Tadashi had first designed: the _original _Baymax.

Hiro couldn't help but smile as he looked over his once-lost friend, placing a gentle hand on him as he remembered the agonizing moment that had separated them to begin with:

"_Hiro, I cannot deactivate until you say you are satisfied with your care-"_

"_Please! No! I-I… I can't lose you too…"_

"_Hiro. I will always be with you. Are you satisfied with your care?"_

"_...Y-yes. I… I'm satisfied with my care…"_

And he had been, and he still _was_. Satisfied with the care and support and friendship that Baymax had always offered him, both old and new. Which was exactly why Hiro had every intention of returning that care in full. "Tadashi would have wanted the same thing," he said, to his teammates, to himself, and to the other Baymax. Even if he knew the fallen robot couldn't hear him.

"But Hiro," Sora interjected earnestly. "Isn't that chip like Baymax's heart?"

Hiro nodded, yet there was still a small, hopeful smile on his face as he turned to the other Baymax once more. "It's ok," he said, placing a hand over his chest. "Baymax is _here_." In the very same place Tadashi was, where those who had been lost always made sure to live on, their memories carried by those who remained: the heart.

Which was why Hiro felt essentially no grief as he snapped the attack chip in two, knowing that even despite its destruction, the Baymax his brother had built would live on. Both in his heart, and, perhaps, _outside _of it as well.

* * *

"Ow...?"

Right on cue, the robot inflated into activation, his round eyes opening to take in the large group gathered in the garage before him. A group that he greeted with a calm, cordial wave, a far cry from the fabricated malice he'd been fueled by before.

"_Hello, I am Baymax, your personal healthcare companion."_

The burst of relief and joy that filled the garage at this was immediate as everyone broke out into bright, elated smiles. Sure enough, Hiro's plan had worked, and in record time too, for all it took to bring the other Baymax back, outside of a few other minor patches and repairs, was to make a copy of the data chip the second model now possessed. And with that chip now installed in his own port, the original Baymax's healthcare database, personality, and even memories were now completely restored in full. A fact that Hiro readily celebrated by racing forward to hug the friend he'd thought he'd lost.

"Hey, Baymax," he whispered warmly as the robot enveloped him in a caring, familiar embrace.

"_Hello, Hiro," _the original Baymax bid his primary patient a kindly greeting. At the same time, the second Baymax stepped forward to join in on the hug, securing Hiro on both sides as he gladly welcomed the bots' shared embrace.

At the same time, the other members of Big Hero 6 all reveled in the original Baymax's return, Sora, Donald, and Goofy easily joining in on the celebration as well. "_Two _Baymaxes?! AWESOME!" Fred cheered, pumping his fist excitedly.

"Definitely a major upgrade," Go Go grinned, genuinely impressed.

"Two heads _are _always better than one!" Honey Lemon chimed in.

"Especially if those heads belong to two robots," Wasabi added with a small laugh.

"Yeah! This is great, Hiro!" Sora exclaimed brightly. "So, uh, do you think we could maybe take one of them with us?"

"Uh, that's a no," Hiro chuckled as both Baymaxes released him from their hug.

"What? Come on!" Sora pleaded, albeit insincerely.

"No," Hiro crossed his arms with a playful smirk. "Who's gonna repair him if he gets broken?"

"Definitely not _you_," Donald sent Sora a wry, teasing look.

"Hey!"

"Besides, he's _my _personal healthcare companion, remember?" Hiro added lightly.

"Aw, I guess you're right," Sora sighed, disappointed. "Still, it'd be really cool to bring at least _one _Baymax along with us to find the rest of the Keys. I bet if we did, we wouldn't end up losing any more of them, at least…"

"Oh that's right," Hiro's tone turned sympathetic at this. "We heard about what happened with the Key-"

"And we're so sorry we weren't there to help you, Sora," Honey Lemon said just as earnestly.

"Don't be," Sora shook his head. "It's not your fault." _"It's mine," _he wanted to add, still firmly believing that painful sentiment. But even so, he refrained on that front, for now at least.

"But even if we didn't get the Key-" Donald began, holding a small smile.

"We still appreciate all you did to help us try to find it!" Goofy finished warmly.

"Is there anything we can do to help you get it back?" Hiro offered. "It's the least we can do after you guys helped us save San Fransokyo. And Baymax."

"_I can still scan for strong emotional impulses to assist in finding additional Keys," _the second Baymax pointed out.

"_My scanners are capable of doing the same," _the original Baymax nodded in agreement.

"Yeah! Let's keep this magical macguffin hunt going!" Fred daringly proclaimed.

"A-as long as we're done diving off the sides of skyscrapers, consider me there," Wasabi said with something of a weary smile.

"Just point us in the right direction," Go Go agreed as coolly as ever. "And we'll be ready to go."

"Thanks, you guys," Sora smiled, genuinely grateful for their kind willingness to help when they really didn't have to. And when they really _couldn't _to begin with. "But… finding the rest of the Keys, _and _trying to get the one we just lost back, is something we need to do on our own."

"Are you sure?" Honey Lemon asked worriedly.

"You're not just saying that because of that guy in the black coat, are you?" Go Go raised a suspicious eyebrow.

"That dude's no match for the ultimate team power of Big Hero 6!" Fred exclaimed, an air of challenge in his tone.

"It's… not just him," Sora sighed. "It's a whole group of other people who are just like him. The Organization is a problem, and it's one that _we _need to take care of. Which means…"

"It's time for us to go," Donald finished where Sora had left off.

"Yeah…" Goofy nodded, just as forlorn.

A beat of sad silence passed among the members of Big Hero 6 at this, but ultimately, Hiro was the one to break it as he stepped forward to the trio with a fond, reassuring smile. "Well, if your minds are made up, then… I guess we can't stop you, can we?"

"Guess we can't," Go Go offered the trio a wry, yet respectful smirk. "Though not for a lack of trying."

"Make sure to come back and visit us any time you can!" Honey Lemon chimed in sweetly.

"You guys are welcome here any time," Wasabi nodded in solid agreement.

"Yeah! You're like members of the team!" Fred quipped. "Wait… does that mean we have to change our name to… 6, 7, 8, 9-Big Hero _9_?!"

"Eh, doesn't have the same ring to it," Wasabi shrugged.

"It really doesn't…" Honey Lemon shook her head.

"Well, I guess this is goodbye," Hiro opened the garage door for the trio, standing alongside the pair of Baymaxes as they both offered them a wave of farwell. "Good luck you there, you guys. If you ever need any help, you know where to look."

"Thanks, Hiro," Sora smiled as they began to set off on their way. Donald and Goofy returned the two Baymaxes' kindly wave, one that the other members of Big Hero 6 all sent back their way in turn. "See you guys again soon!"

"Yeah," Hiro nodded warmly, calling out to the trio one last time as they began their way down the street. "Oh! By the way, even if you didn't get this one, I hope you guys are able to find the rest of those Keys you're looking for!"

"Yeah…" Sora's hopeful manner finally faded at this as he turned away, a familiar sort of shame settling over him instead as he looked down at his hand. And at the very small specks of shadow just starting to peek out from underneath his glove upon it. "So do I…"

* * *

Despite their bright, spirited parting with Big Hero 6, the levity didn't quite last as Sora, Donald, and Goofy made their way down one of San Fransokyo's quieter streets on their way out of town. With no Key to be found anymore, they had no real reason to linger in this world, especially when the pressure was on, now more than ever, to beat the Organization in finding the rest. Yet even so, Sora's pace in particular was slow, lagging even, something that Donald and Goofy picked up on just as much as they did the fact that he was much quieter, much more solemn than he usually was. The reason behind his saddened silence was obvious, yet even so, that reason hardly satisfied the pair as they still made an effort to break him out of it all the same.

"Sora," Goofy began gently. "Are you ok?"

Sora let something of a bitter, incredulous laugh out at this, one that soon broke into a defeated sigh as he shook his head, still refusing to glance back at the pair. "How can I be? One of the Keys is gone, a-and… and it's all because of me…"

"Stop saying that!" Donald scolded sternly. "It's not like you just handed the Key over to that other Riku!"

"No, but I might as well have!" Sora argued, finally turning around to face his companions. "Everyone's depending on us to get these Keys, _all _of the Keys, and I just… _let _the Organization have one, like it was nothing!"

"B-but didn't you say you tried to stop him from taking it?" Goofy asked, still remaining calm where his companions weren't.

"Yeah, and a lot of good _that _did me," Sora scoffed harshly. "You guys can talk all you want about how we've already got three of them, or how we'll get more of them, but none of that _matters _now! The Organization has one, a-and that means they can-they _will _get more-" He abruptly turned away from the pair again, his shoulders shaking with an oncoming sob that he fiercely fought back by wrapping his arms around himself tightly. "They'll get more, m-maybe even _all _of them, and that means that Xehanort will _win, _and if he wins, t-then that means that I'll-"

He stopped himself sharply, unable to even voice the horrific possibility out loud lest it somehow become an even more horrific reality right there on the spot. Still, the domino effect the loss of even a single Key could have was undeniable, to the point that Sora wondered-and genuinely feared-if there was any way to stop it at all. And if they couldn't stop it, if even more Keys continued to fall into the clutches of darkness, then really, there was no telling what disastrous turn things could end up taking.

Still, despite the clear hopelessness Sora had fallen into, Donald and Goofy refused to share it, sharing the resolve to pull their dejected young companion out of it instead. "Sora…" Donald began much more evenly this time around, both him and Goofy stepping forward to comfort him in any way they could. Even so, before either of them could get another word out, Sora interrupted them, his voice much softer, somehow even sadder as he kept his back turned to them all the while.

"Donald, Goofy…" He let out a small, shaking sigh as he briefly considered staying the course he had been for so long now, the course of keeping it all safely tucked away as a series of well-kept secrets. And yet, he knew he couldn't anymore. Not now, not when so much was at stake. "I-I… t-there's… something I need to tell you guys…"

The pair exchanged a glance at this, both of them equally confused, though they offered their young companion their full attention regardless, intent on listening to whatever it was he had to say. And yet… despite his willingness to finally put everything out in the open for the first time, ultimately Sora wouldn't get a chance to say any of it at all.

For just before he could, the telltale clamor of an emerging group of Heartless suddenly filled in the space behind them, a massive horde of the creatures materializing from the shadows along with it.

"_More _of them?!" Donald asked incredulously, not hesitating to pull out his staff.

"But I thought we got rid of all of 'em here!" Goofy exclaimed, just as baffled by the sudden show of monsters.

As caught off guard as he was by the ambush, Sora wasted no time in summoning his Keyblade, falling in line behind his companions as they rushed forward to take the Heartless head on. And yet, just as he was about to properly join them in battle, he was abruptly stopped altogether the moment he ran into some unknown invisible force. A transparent wall, blocking off the entire other end of the road and keeping him from rejoining his companions, no matter how many times he fiercely slammed his Keyblade against it.

"Sora!" Donald shouted over his shoulder amidst firing off a string of spells. "What are you doing?! Get over here!"

"W-we could really use your help!" Goofy added, wavering under his shield as a group of winged Heartless beat away at it.

"I-I'm trying!" Sora protested, swinging his Keyblade against the invisible wall once again to no avail. "But I-I don't-something's wrong! It's like I can't-"

"Can't help your friends? What a shame _that _must be…"

The moment he heard this familiar voice, Sora froze, both out of shock and out of immediate anger, his Keyblade hanging above his head in a swing he didn't bring down as he stole a sharp glance over his shoulder instead. Sure enough, just a few feet behind him, a dark corridor was forming, and out of that corridor stepped just about the last pair he could have ever expected to see here, all things considered.

"Maleficent! Pete!" Sora immediately turned his Keyblade on the villainous pair as they emerged from the dark portal. Donald and Goofy couldn't quite join him in standing against them given how tied up they were with the swarm of Heartless besetting them, but suffice to say they were every bit as dumbfounded to see these familiar foes as Sora was.

"Ah, Sora…" Maleficent greeted, her tone falsely cordial. "What ages have passed since we last met?"

"Wha-huh?" Pete frowned, confused upon hearing this. "But… wasn't it just a little while ago that we were in that jungle and you-"

"Silence, you buffoon," Maleficent impatiently glared at her henchman before easing back into an icy smile as she looked over at Sora once more. "But oh dear, it seems as though your friends there seem to be in quite the predicament. The Heartless really can be _such _a bothersome rabble, aren't they?"

"You mean the Heartless that _you _came here with, right?" Sora scowled, not loosening his grip on his Keyblade for an instant. "What do you even want anyway? If you're after the Key, then sorry to disappoint you, but it's not here anymore."

"Key?" Maleficent merely raised an eyebrow at this. "I have no interest in any sort of Key."

"T-the black box, then?" Sora ventured, remembering the pair bringing it up before. "'Cause if you are, we don't know _anything _about-"

"The black box is no longer my most pressing concern," Maleficent coolly interrupted, her malicious grin deepening as she finally got right to the point. "Rather, I'm after an entirely _new _prize instead… _you_, Sora."

"W-what?" Sora gasped, completely caught off guard by this. And yet he didn't have time to press Maleficent for any further answers as the panicked cries of his pair of companions immediately reached him right after.

"S-Sora!" Goofy shouted, dropping to one knee out of sheer exhaustion and various minor injuries. "There's too many of 'em! We _really _need your help!"

"And _soon_!" Donald added, frantically casting some healing magic the captain's way amidst several attack spells aimed for the Heartless. All of which were clearly starting to waver and weaken as the magician started to wear down from the creatures' relentless attacks as well.

Upon seeing his friends in such peril, Sora wasted no time in beating against the barrier keeping them separated once again. Though much like before, his Keyblade did little to break it, much to his increasing aggravation, especially as he heard a goading laugh coming from behind him.

"Aw, what's the matter?" Pete taunted, snickering. "Your fancy Keyblade ain't enough to bust down some fancy magic force field thingy?"

"Get lost!" Sora shouted, fiercely turning back to the pair behind him. " And take those Heartless with you!"

"Oh, we have every intention of leaving," Maleficent said smoothly. "And fret not; to show we mean no ill will, we'll even call the Heartless when we do. But if, and only if, you agree to come along with us, Sora."

"And why would I _ever _do that?" Sora asked, eyeing the pair suspiciously.

Maleficent let out something of a small, coy chuckle as she nodded back to the ongoing brawl behind him. "Because if you don't, then your precious friends will certainly perish under my pall of Heartless. And all the while, you'll stand by, powerless to do _anything _to help them as you watch their lives fade right in front of you, leaving you completely and utterly _alone_."

By now, Sora had had more than enough of whatever kind of mysterious, sadistic game Maleficent was trying to play with him as he instead opted to take a more direct approach instead. "Yeah, right!" he shouted, rushing for the villainous pair with his Keyblade at the ready to strike. And yet, as he brought it down, he did so not on either of them, but on yet another transparent barricade blocking him from landing any sort of hit against either of them. Not that he didn't try as he continued striking at the invisible force over and over again in a furious attempt at ending this chaos on his own terms instead of Maleficent's.

"Whoa, you weren't kidding with these magical walls, huh?" Pete muttered to Maleficent, impressed. "It's like he can't even touch us!"

"Precisely," Maleficent smirked before she coldly addressed Sora once more. "Though perhaps I didn't make myself completely clear before…" She raised her scepter, dark energy pulsating through it before it rippled through the invisible barrier before her. The force of that energy was more than enough to knock Sora back as he tried swinging at the wall once more, throwing him against the other one that was still preventing him from giving his friends the assistance they desperately needed. "Allow me to reiterate," Maleficent said, sending him an authoritative glare. "Either you surrender yourself over to me, or the king's fools, your dearest friends, pay the price for your stubborn insolence. The choice is entirely up to you."

Despite the hectic battle they were still embroiled in, Donald and Goofy heard this cruel ultimatum clearly, and the moment they did, their shared concerns immediately fell away from their ongoing fight and toward their young companion instead. "No! Sora!" Donald swiftly turned away from the Heartless to run toward the invisible barricade, Goofy following not too far behind. "Don't listen to her!"

"Y-yeah! You don't gotta worry about us!" Goofy assured, especially as Sora glanced back to face the pair with wide, alarmed eyes. "We can handle a few Heartless just fine, you know that!"

Sora didn't even get a chance to respond before another Heartless entered the fray, a massive, shadowy beast that slammed to the ground right in front of Donald and Goofy just as they were a few feet shy of the invisible wall. The resounding quake the monster caused knocked them back quite a bit, but the Heartless gave them no time to recover as it immediately attacked, lashing its large, clawed hands at the pair repeatedly. And as he watched some of those brutal swings actually land on the pair, Sora found that all he could do to merely try to stop it was beat against the wall keeping them apart, this time with his bare fists. All in a desperate, yet futile effort to rush to their aid in a moment when they needed it most.

"Time is running out, Sora," Maleficent chimed in, her voice cool and calm, frustratingly so. "I can afford to wait as long as you'd like, but I doubt your dear friends have the same luxury…"

Sora couldn't help but flinch anxiously as he watched the large Heartless toss Donald and Goofy back painfully, the other creatures swarming them in what was undeniably turning into an incredibly unfair fight. Especially as the pair began to wear down more and more from both exhaustion and injury alike. "Why are you doing this?!" he demanded, turning back to Maleficent and Pete. "What do you even want with me?"

"Oh, that's easy!" Pete grinned obliviously. "Maleficent here says she's gonna-"

Maleficent immediately stopped him, swiftly swinging her staff out in front of him to silence him before he could say too much. Her brief, annoyed scowl quickly shifted back into her steady, confident smile, one that only infuriated Sora more and more with each passing second. "Now, now, all will be revealed in due time," she assured patiently. "After all, I can't just go around divulging all of my ingenious plans before they have a chance to even really begin. That would ruin the surprise."

Sora let out a small, irritated huff at this, though he quickly realized he had no time to press for any further answers as he heard another round of his companion's pained shouts behind him. The large Heartless was in a full-on rampage by now, to the point that Goofy's shield and Donald's magic could do little to stop it, much less protect themselves from it. Despite their courageous, tireless efforts to stand strong, they were _losing _this fight. And as this horrifying realization set in, Sora knew that there was really only one thing he could do in place of actually rushing in to help them himself. "I-if I go with you, you'll call the Heartless off?" he asked diffidently, sending Maleficent a distrustful glare all the while.

"Absolutely," she nodded, her sinister smile spreading even wider upon hearing this.

"How do I know you're not lying?"

"My dear boy, what reason have I to lie to you?" Maleficent let out a small, almost gentle gale of amused laughter. "I came here seeking one thing, and one thing alone. And once I have that which I seek in my possession, then neither I nor my heartless will have any reason to linger in this world any longer."

"J-just as long as I go with you, right?" Sora pressed, wanting to make sure he had every last base covered. Especially if he was going into whatever Maleficent had planned completely blind like this. "You _promise _you'll leave them alone?"

"You have my word," Maleficent agreed, her tone surprisingly sincere.

Yet even so, that didn't mean Sora necessarily believed her, though as he stole another look back at Donald and Goofy. The pair had practically reached their limit by this point, both of them struggling to simply remain standing as the Heartless continued swarming all around them, ready to finish off what they had started. Still, even amidst all this, they managed to notice the fretful, fearful look Sora was sending their way. A look that immediately told them exactly what he was planning on doing far more than words ever could have.

"S-Sora!" Goofy yelled in frantic alarm.

"No!" Donald shouted, just as panicked, especially as Sora silently turned away from them once more.

For a moment, he was silent, his eyes closed as he let out a small, soft sigh. He'd started the unknown straight in the face more times than he could really count by now. And each time, he'd done so boldly, brazenly, probably more recklessly than he should have. But now, this was an entirely different kind of unknown, one that offered him with no other options, no other ways out but to simply accept it and see what came next. And for the sake of two of his closest, constant companions, that was exactly what he was going to do.

"Fine," he finally said, his manner showing nothing but the deepest resolve. He let his Keyblade disappear as a sign of his surrender as he looked to Maleficent squarely, his expression showing not a trace of fear. Because really, it wasn't her that he feared; it was all of the unnecessary pain and peril she had his friends through, the suffering they'd undergone while he'd stood by, unable to help, that he truly feared instead. "I'll go with you."

"No!" Donald and Goofy cried in horrified unison. Without hesitating, they immediately began to try to break through the heavy line of Heartless around them, their various injuries all but forgotten as they raced forward to stop this horrendous transaction from taking place.

And yet, as far as Maleficent was concerned, the deal was soundly struck as she readily called forth a dark corridor to take her leave, and her "prize" along with her. "Very good," she smirked deviously as she let only one of the two invisible barricades down. The one that would have kept Sora from entering the dark corridor rather than the one that was still keeping him from offering his companions a proper goodbye. "Then let us be on our way."

"Yeah!" Pete added, just as smugly triumphant. "You're comin' with us, kid!"

"Not so fast," Sora countered sternly. "The Heartless go before we do. You _promised_."

"Hm, so I did," Maleficent scoffed, waving her hand with little concern. As she did, the Heartless all disappeared entirely, finally freeing Donald and Goofy from their violent, relentless siege as Sora took their place, albeit in a different sort of way entirely. "Now, if that's quite all, I do believe it's time for us to go."

"Right…" Sora sighed, though he still took a first step toward that awful unknown all the same. Even if his companions refused to let him submit himself to it so easily.

"Sora, wait!" Donald shouted, both furious and distraught as he pounded against the invisible barrier. "Don't do this!"

"W-we're ok now, see?" Goofy added, just as panicked. "You don't have to go with 'em!"

"Sorry…" Sora didn't look back at either of them, his admittedly anxious sights set on the shadows of the dark corridor right in front of him instead. "But I do…" After all, he nearly added, whatever was about to befall him was exactly the kind of punishment he believed he deserved for letting a Key slip out of their possession so easily.

Not wanting to waste any more time, Maleficent silently motioned for Pete to enter the dark corridor first, which he cheerfully did since their success was now all but assured. Even so, for her own part, Maleficent remained, her smile malicious and icy as she beckoned Sora forward, knowing she had him _exactly _where she wanted him. And, with no choice left but to honor his end of their bargain, he glumly, quietly, obediently followed.

"Sora! Stop!" Donald ordered, intensely pounding against the barrier that, no matter how hard they tried, simply _refused _to break.

"P-please…" Goofy solemnly pleaded, the tears starting to well up in his eyes matching Donald's quite well.

Even so, Sora kept going, saying nothing to either of them as he continued to approach whatever mysterious, no-doubt disastrous fate Maleficent had in mind for him. And yet, just before he took that final step into the unknown, he briefly turned back toward his pair of desperate, dejected companions.

And offered them one small, sad, silent smile just before he disappeared into the darkness altogether.

* * *

**AhahahaHAHAHAHAHA OH MAN LIKE I SAID WE'RE FINALLY OFF THE RAILS! Yep that's right, with this we plunge headfirst into what I like to think of as Keys' second act. And what a second act its going to be... Either way, don't you just _love _cliffhangers? I sure do! Can't wait to see where _this _one is going to lead (even though I already know, let's just say the next chapter is going to be... a _lot_.) But for now, feel free to let me know what you thought of this one in the REVIEWS! Until next time! :D **


	22. Chapter 21: The Depths of Despair

_Dang it, I just keep writing longer and longer chapters for this story, don't I? Well, sorry that this one is such a monster, but a TON happens in it and honestly, for how long I've been looking forward to it and how much it shakes the entire story up, I'm VERY proud of how it turned out. Anyway I'll be brief here and won't keep you from it. Enjoy!_

* * *

_Chapter 21: The Depths of Despair _

_Everything is just fine  
But if you're gonna think twice  
I don't wanna know, baby  
I don't wanna know_

The Gummi Ship bolted through the Lanes Between at a frenetic pace, despite the fact that no clear destination had been set for it. If anything, the ship seemed to be blindly bounding around the endless sea of stars, swerving in countless different directions as two of its passengers grappled against each other for its controls, arguing all the while.

"W-we gotta check every world we can find!" Goofy exclaimed, pulling the ship hard to the left. "Maleficent could've taken him _anywhere_!"

"But that'll take way too long!" Donald fervently squawked, forcing the ship in the opposite direction. "We need to find Sora _now_! Who knows what she'll do to him if we don't?!"

That exact fear was exactly what had prompted the pair to make their hasty departure from San Fransokyo practically the very horrific moment Maleficent had made off with Sora right before their very eyes. Panic had pushed them in a scrambled retreat back to the Gummi Ship, and continued to press them onward as they took off, determined and desperate to find their now-captive companion no matter what. Even if they were still heavily reeling from the awful fact that they'd manage to lose him under such cruel conditions in the first place.

"But we'll never find him if we don't even know where to look!" Goofy protested sharply.

"No, we'll never find him if we keep wasting time!" Donald snapped impatiently. "Which is exactly what we're doing _right now_!"

"I know! And that's time we don't have, and neither does Sora!"

"You think I don't know that?! That's why we need to _go_! NOW!"

"Not without a plan we can't!"

The pair continued struggling for full reign of the vessel, bickering brashly all the while to the point that they didn't even notice the ship's only other-and smallest-passenger climb up onto the dashboard. That is, until he interrupted the ongoing squabble in the best way he possibly could.

"Fellas, wait!" Jiminy piped up, waving the quarreling pair to a much-needed silence. Even so, Donald and Goofy's expressions were equally matched in terms of distraught urgency, something the cricket could practically feel as he addressed them evenly. "I know we're all upset, but fightin' like this isn't gonna do anything to help Sora! We gotta get on the same page here, and fast! He's countin' on us!"

"...Jiminy's right," Goofy sighed, looking to Donald apologetically. "We gotta pull ourselves together. Why, what would Sora say if he _were _here, seein' us standing around here arguin' at a time like this?"

"Knowing him? Something schmaltzy and inspiring," Donald couldn't help but crack a small, bittersweet smirk at this. "Like, 'we can't give up before we've even started!' or 'we're a team! And teams work together!'"

"Yep, that sounds like Sora alright," Goofy chuckled warmly at the thought of their mutually treasured companion. "You've really got him pegged."

"How could I not after all this time?" Donald's grin quickly faded as he let out a fretful sigh in its place. "We _have _to get him back, Goofy…"

"And we _will_," the captain assured, still smiling, albeit sadder this time. "And I think I got an idea about how we can do it; if we can't figure out where Maleficent took Sora on our own, then let's get help from someone who _can_!"

"Riku and the king!" Donald cut in. "Of course! If there's anybody who'd be able to find Sora, it'd be them! We need to tell them what happened right away!"

"Uh, only a few problems with that, fellas…" Jiminy frowned. "We don't have any way to reach 'em without the Gummiphone… which _Sora _has, not us. And even if we _could _call them, for all we know, they could be way too deep in the Realm of Darkness by now to even answer!"

"Aw, shucks…" Goofy's shoulders drooped in disappointment. "But wait! If Sora still has the Gummiphone, then maybe _he _could just call Riku and the king for help instead!"

"If Maleficent lets him, which she _won't_," Donald grumbled, shaking his head. "And we can't afford to just wait around and see if he does! Let's go get Master Yen Sid instead! He'll know what to do!"

"But we're awfully far from his tower…" Jiminy noted as he glanced over the ship's star map. "And without Sora here to use his Keyblade to open up a gateway for us, it could take us _days _to get there, maybe more!"

"But Sora might not have that kind of time!" Donald fussed, frantic.

"W-what do we do?!" Goofy anxiously wondered. "How are we supposed to-"

The captain stopped short as a world started to come into view through the Gummi Ship's window, one that grew steadily larger and clearer the closer their vessel drifted toward it. And sure enough, a quick check on their map confirmed it: the world they were incidentally approaching just so happened to be none other than Radiant Garden.

"Merlin!" Donald, Goofy, and Jiminy all exclaimed on the same bout of realization.

"He's every bit as powerful of a wizard as Master Yen Sid is!" Jiminy exclaimed excitedly.

"Yeah! He'll be able to help us find Sora for sure!" Goofy agreed, immensely relieved.

"Then what are we waiting for?!" Donald pushed the ship's controls forward. "Let's go!"

And with that, they were off, rocketing through the stars, traveling as fast as the Gummi Ship could possibly go toward Radiant Garden, their shared, stalwart mission ever on their mind. To do everything in their power to save Sora, in the same spirit as he'd shown when he saved them through his own sacrifice. A sacrifice that, as far as Donald and Goofy were concerned, had been far too high of a price for him to pay.

"Don't worry, Sora," Goofy assured, hoping that wherever Sora actually was, he was somehow alright, even despite the daunting circumstances he was certainly under. A sentiment that Donald readily shared as they drifted ever closer to their destination.

"We're on our way!"

* * *

The very first thing Sora felt, before he even opened his eyes, was cold. The entire left side of his body was pressed against a surface so hard and frigid it might as well have been ice, disregarding how rough and coarse it was. But that bitter chill seemed to spike the most around his wrists as some sort of unknown weight rested on them, a weight he only really felt the same moment he became aware of the sharp, persistent pain pounding through his head.

That headache made even the simple process of opening his eyes arduous and difficult, but when he finally did so he was met with a sobering sight. Dull, sturdy, colorless stone walls surrounded him on all sides, including the floor, without a doubt the source of the empty chill he still couldn't shake, though not for a lack of trying.

Confusion, largely concerning where he was and how he'd gotten there, was the first thing that filled his thoughts as he made an attempt at sitting up. Though as soon as he did, that confusion was both answered and doubled at the same exact time. For latched tightly, securely around his wrists was a pair of thick, heavy metal shackles, ones that were anchored to the ground right behind him by a string of equally fortified chains. Given how short that string really was, Sora found himself unable to move much at all since his hands had been bound behind him, and though he had managed to properly sit up, he couldn't do much outside of that as restrained as he currently was.

As Sora gave an experimental tug on one of those chains, he quickly remembered exactly what had landed him in these mysterious, unsettling circumstances in the first place. The inescapable ultimatum Maleficent had presented him with, the harrowing choice he'd been forced into making, the acceptance of that choice for the sake of Donald and Goofy's safety. And the moment he'd stepped into that dark corridor, only for everything to instantly go black the instant some unforeseen blow landed heavily across the back of his head.

So now here he was, tightly locked away in some small, square stony room, one that had no apparent windows or doors and was only illuminated by some unknown light source that was so dim that it might as well not have even existed at all for how dark it was. _Intentionally _dark, Sora was sure, just as it was intentionally cold to the point that he was practically shivering, and just as it was likely intentional that the chains binding him kept him in a low, compromised position with little leeway allotted. It was about what he had expected out of Maleficent when it came to keeping him captive, though her reasoning behind doing so in the first place was still a complete and utter mystery, just as it had been from the moment this mess had all started.

Still, waking up chained and alone in a completely unknown, seemingly inescapable location was far from the worst situation Sora could claim to have ever been in, even if it wasn't exactly ideal. Clearly Maleficent had forgotten to take his Keyblade into account when putting this whole setup together for him. With its ability to open just about any lock, it was just about the best weapon anyone could ever ask for in a situation like this, and even if his current position wasn't the best for summoning it, Sora still made an attempt at doing so anyway. And yet… despite that attempt, nothing appeared in his hand as he held it open behind him. Confused, he waited a moment before trying again, and though his heart rang with the familiar warm spark that always showed up alongside his Keyblade, the weapon itself still didn't materialize.

"W-what…?" he muttered incredulously, glancing back at his shackled hand for any signs of his Keyblade appearing. But ultimately, bafflingly, he was still met with _nothing_.

"Ah, so you've finally awakened… I trust the accommodations are to your liking?"

On the far side of the chamber, a dark portal swiftly burst into existence and out of that portal stepped Maleficent herself. She came alone, without Pete accompanying her this time around, though her magical scepter was still on hand as she stared down at her new captive with a smug grin that was every bit as icy as the room they were both in.

When she oddly said nothing, Sora decided to venture a brazen response to her earlier question instead. "Eh, they could be better," he remarked quite dryly. "I grew up on an island, so I'm _really _not a big fan of the cold. Or the chains for that matter." He scowled back at said chains, lightly tugging on them once more only for their dull rattle to echo through the chamber, just as they'd been doing in time with each tiny movement he made since he woke up.

"Then don't consider them to be chains," Maleficent said, her easy, insincere smile still apparent. "Think of them as more of a… leash. That's how I see them at least." Her tone remained soft and cloying as she perched the far end of her staff under Sora's chin, forcing him to look up to make eye contact with her. "A fitting leash for my soon-to-be new pet."

Though Sora didn't entirely know what she meant by this, the implication still disgusted him all the same. "Yeah right," he scoffed, pulling his head away. "So now that you've got me here, are you actually gonna give me some answers about what all this is for? Or was your big plan just to chain me up in some freezing cell until I catch a cold or something? Because if it was, then I'm sorry to break it to you, but that plan's _not _going to work out very well for you."

"And why is that?" Maleficent asked, unconcerned. "Because you all it will take for you to escape from this predicament-that _you_, yourself agreed to be in, might I remind you-is a simple swing of your precious Keyblade? If that's what you think, then by all means, I implore you to try exactly that."

Though he kept his distrustful sights set on Maleficent all the while, Sora did try calling upon his Keyblade once again. Yet just as before, the weapon almost seemed to refuse to flash into his grip, even despite his best attempts at focusing incredibly hard at something that usually came so naturally to him. But no matter how hard he tried or how much he focused, his Keyblade was still absolutely nowhere to be found. "I-I don't understand…" he muttered to himself first before glaring back up at Maleficent. "Why can't I summon my Keyblade? What did you do to me?!"

"It's quite simple, really," Maleficent began almost triumphantly. "If those chains are like a leash, then consider those shackles around your wrists to be something of a collar, one that's specifically meant to keep you from acting out of line, Sora. It took quite a bit of time and effort to perfect the magic they're made of, but even upon its first test, I can see that it works _exactly _as I intended."

"But why?!" Sora demanded, aggressively pulling against the chains this time, though they still refused to give. "Why are you doing this? What do you even want with me in the first place?!"

Strangely, Maleficent seemed disinterested in giving a direct answer as she instead began walking around the perimeter of the cell at a slow, calculated pace. "As you know, some time ago, Pete and I traveled to Olympus in search of a certain black box. And while we didn't find what we had originally been looking for, we _did _happen across something that piqued my interest _much _more. It seemed to be a Heartless, though this one was quite unlike any I've ever seen before. It was _far _more powerful, ruthless and barbaric to the point that any other Heartless it came across cowered and caved under its unstoppable might. And the most fascinating part of all? It wielded a _Keyblade_."

The moment he heard this, Sora immediately knew exactly what "Heartless" she was talking about, even though he'd never actually gotten a chance to see it for himself. Largely because it _was _him. "Oh no…" he whispered, letting the chains fall slack behind him once more as he averted the dark fairy's almost greedy gaze entirely.

"Oh _yes_," Maleficent countered steadily. "You know, Sora, I have to say, I'm quite impressed. After all, I've never seen a Heartless that's capable of taking on the guise of a _human _before…"

"I am _not _a Heartless," Sora hissed, glaring up at her.

"Hm, perhaps right now you're not," Maleficent mused, stopping to stand right in front of him. "But when I'm through with you, I can guarantee there will be nothing left of you that _isn't _a Heartless… A Heartless that's completely, endlessly loyal to _me_."

Sora couldn't help but flinch at this chilling threat, one that seemed quite serious as Maleficent's near-constant grin finally turned into an authoritative scowl. Still, he forced himself to shake off the burst of fear that rushed through his heart, instead steeling himself to stand against his foe and whatever it was she had planned for him. "You wanna bet?" he asked, an air of bold challenge in his tone.

"That wouldn't be a very fair bet on your end," Maleficent laughed mockingly. "Consider the precarious position you're currently in for a moment. You're restrained, and the moment I take my leave, you'll be completely _alone_. You're entirely incapable of summoning your Keyblade, leaving you with no way of escaping whatsoever. And furthermore, no one knows where you are. _No one _will come to rescue you. Which means, that if you _ever _hope to see the light of day again, Sora, your one and _only _option is to submit to the darkness buried deep inside your heart… and use it to set yourself free."

And just like that, Maleficent's twisted plan finally became clear. The purpose behind the chains, the shackles, the cell, the very reason why she had forced him to bargain his freedom away in the first place. All for the sake of getting darkness to overwhelm him, to force the monstrous, shadowy creature that he shamefully knew dwelled deep inside of him to not only come out, but overtake him completely. And if her plan succeeded, if she truly _did _manage to force him to become the Heartless she clearly wanted on her side… then there was no telling what she'd have him do.

"No," Sora began rigidly, firmly resolved as he offered Maleficent a relentless glare. "I don't care how long you keep me locked up here or what you plan on doing to me, I will never, _ever _let you or the darkness control me!"

This courageous proclamation was met with a fierce answer in the form of a swift and heavy backhanded blow that knocked Sora back painfully, or at least as much as the short chains would allow. "You'd be wise not to test my patience, boy…" Maleficent coldly growled as she properly stood once more. "Your stubborn rebellion will earn you _nothing _here but pain and sorrow. Not that I'm opposed to that; after all, it's my understanding that your suffering will only help to speed this process along…" Her severe expression switched back into a sinister smirk as she called upon a dark corridor to make her momentary departure. "Still, I don't see this taking very long anyway. I've heard that free, bright spirits such as yours don't tend to last when locked away behind cold, dark, stone walls. I'll have that ultimate Heartless under my power soon enough. And once I do, I can only imagine what kind of _magnificent _chaos I'll have you create for me, Sora…"

Assured of her eventual victory, Maleficent finally let her sadistic glee out in the form of a loud, cackling laugh as she disappeared into her shadowy portal, leaving her unfortunate captive alone in the frigid dark once more.

By now, Sora had largely sat up once more, nursing a gentle hand against his face where Maleficent had struck him as he let out a heavy, disgruntled sigh. While the entire encounter, and the reveal of Maleficent's true intentions especially, had left him somewhat shaken, he refused to let his nerves get the better of him, especially now. If a Heartless was what his enemy wanted, then he was determined to do everything he possibly could to keep her from getting that. Or, more specifically, from getting control over him.

And yet as resolved as he was to resist whatever cruel tactics Maleficent threw his way, Sora still knew that the sooner he escaped, the better. Not only did his own safety depend on it, but so did that of so many others, especially given what horrific things Maleficent would likely force him to do if she had her way. But even beyond that, he couldn't afford to waste any time; the Organization had already gotten their hand on one Key and as long as he was stuck here, then they'd have free reign to obtain several more with virtually no opposition at all. He hoped that Donald and Goofy would merely go on looking for them without him, but a large part of him doubted they'd move on from his capture so easily. Briefly, Sora worried that they might be out there trying to find him, putting themselves right back into the same danger he had given himself up to save them from if they even got close to doing so. But that fear quickly dissipated when he remembered what Maleficent had said; nobody knew where he was, even _he _had no idea where she was keeping him imprisoned. Which meant that hopefully, no one would be able to put themselves in unnecessary danger trying to save him.

Not that he really thought he really _needed _saving to begin with. Even without his Keyblade, Sora was certain that he'd be able to figure out _some _way to escape. The hardest parts by far would be breaking out of the shackles and finding some way out of a seemingly sealed-off room. But once he managed to accomplish that, getting out of Maleficent's clutches would be easy. Even despite her wicked intent, compared to the Organization's twisted ambitions, he hardly considered her to be much of a threat, especially since the only backup she seemed to have on her side were Pete and a few simpleminded Heartless. True, that still meant he was outnumbered, but he hardly believed the odds to be stacked too high against him; at least, not yet.

"Come on..." Sora whispered to himself, taking in a deep, steadying breath as he focused on summoning his Keyblade once more. Whatever sort of block Maleficent's magic was putting on his ability to do so _had _to have some sort of work-around; he just had to find it first. And yet, his immense focus on doing nothing else but calling his Keyblade forth hardly seemed to matter; the weapon still wouldn't appear, no matter how hard he tried. "Ugh, _fine_…" he groaned, exasperated as he repositioned his wrists in the shackles keeping them tightly bound. Shackles that wouldn't even allow him to perform any sort of magic either, not even the kind of forbidden magic he still refused to use, even at a time like this.

So instead, he forced himself to try and stand as much as the chains would allow, leaning heavily into whatever physical strength he still might have had on his side to carry out the only plan he really had at the moment. "I guess we'll have to do this the old-fashioned way then…"

* * *

The teacup felt warm and smooth in Kairi's hands as she watched unsteady ripples ebb and flow through the hot liquid inside it as a result of the noisy conversation all around her. She hardly listened to that conversation, however, instead focusing on the stirrings of her tea, or more precisely something else entirely. The similar, uneven, unsteady stirrings starting to find purchase inside her own heart.

None of the others sitting around the table noticed her furrowed brow and her anxious frown as they continued enjoying their usual round of after-breakfast beverages. Axel in particular let out a contented sigh as he perched his feet onto the edge of the table, reclining in his chair as he took a long swig of his coffee. "Ah, now _this _is more like it!" he grinned broadly. "Not just one day, not just a week, but _several _weeks without the old man bossing us around? He should go off to visit his own world _way _more often; I've been waiting _forever _for a break like this!"

"Hey now!" Cid piped up from his spot at his computer. "Just 'cause Merlin took off, doesn't mean we're on vacation 'round here! We've all still got work to do, and that includes _plenty _of homework the geezer left behind for you 'n Kairi there, Lea."

"W-what?!" Axel exclaimed, aghast. "_Homework_?! What does Merlin think we are? A bunch of kids?"

"You might as well be based on how you act all the time," Yuffie teased, eliciting a small chuckle from Aerith and Leon.

"Hey!"

"Still, I didn't expect Merlin to take a trip like this while he's in the middle of training someone," Leon mused after the bout of levity had passed. "He must really trust you two to feel comfortable enough to turn you loose to learn on your own for so long."

"Hey, it's not _that _surprising," Axel remarked. "We are his star pupils after all; the old man said so himself, right Kairi?"

"H-huh?" Kairi blinked, finally glancing up from her tea. "Uh, y-yeah, sure…"

"Kairi, are you all right?" Aerith asked, stepping in to stand beside the younger girl, teapot in hand. "It looks like you haven't even touched your tea yet; it's starting to get cold."

"Yeah, you usually love "tea-time" or whatever Merlin calls this," Axel noted, looking over to his fellow pupil with newfound concern. "Is something wrong?"

"N-no, nothing's wrong," Kairi shook her head before letting out a small sigh. "I… It's just… Never mind; it's… it's nothing."

"Nothing?" Yuffie tilted her head, confused. "Aw, c'mon! You were staring into that tea like a whole 'nother world was in there! With that kind of focus, it can't just be 'nothing'."

Kairi hesitated, cupping her hands tighter around her teacup before meeting the mutually worried expressions of the group sitting around her. "To tell you the truth, I-I… don't actually know _what's _wrong," she admitted apprehensively. "It just… _feels _like something isn't right. Like… like something or some_one _is calling out to my heart… for help."

"Who do you think it could be?" Aerith asked, sharing the same sort of curiosity the others all had.

Kairi tightly pressed her lips together, focusing on the signs her heart was sending her and little else. The unspoken cry for help, soft to the point that it was practically silent altogether, ringing through it, hoping to be freed, begging for release. From what, she had no idea, but as to who it was coming from… the familiar spark of warmth that tugged at her heart along with it offered her a basic hunch. A hunch that she didn't dare say aloud, largely out of the growing fear that it could in fact, be true.

And yet, she realized, she still owed the others an answer all the same. "I… I think it could be-"

Before she could get another word out, a sudden, heavy knock on the front door rang throughout the wizard's house, catching just about everyone off guard. That knock persisted, practically frantic as another round of similar pounding quickly joined it, creating quite a clamor in the process. "Who could that be?" Yuffie asked, admittedly startled.

"Somebody who's _way _too gung-ho about knocking?" Axel guessed, raising an eyebrow as he turned to the door.

"Yeesh! Hold yer horses, will ya?!" Cid called as he made his way over to the door. "I'm comin'! I'm coming!" Annoyed, he threw the door open, not paying too much immediate mind to who was standing on the other side of it. "Now, how can we help-"

"Merlin!"

The engineer stumbled backward as the pair at the door pushed their way past him, finally coming into view of the group at the table as they all rose in surprise over their unexpected arrival. "D-Donald? Goofy?" Kairi exclaimed, baffled. "What are you two doing here?"

"Yeah, and what's with all the panic?" Axel asked, just as confused. "You guys look like you just saw a fire."

"We might as well have!" Donald snapped harshly.

"W-where's Merlin?!" Goofy asked, glancing around the house for any signs of the wizard. "We need to talk to him right away! It's _really _important!"

"He's not here," Yuffie shook her head. "He's off visiting the world he's from and he won't be back for a couple of weeks. But… maybe we can help?"

"What's the problem?" Leon asked, his tone quite serious as he looked to the hectic pair.

"Wait," Kairi interjected before they could explain. Up until now, her eyes had been trained on the still-open door, the already growing dread that had been slowly building up all morning seeming to rise to an unbearable degree. Especially as she realized who _hadn't _entered alongside his usual companions. "Donald, Goofy," she turned back to the fretful pair, her eyes wide as she posed a question that she wasn't sure she really wanted the answer to. "Where is Sora?"

For their part, the most Donald and Goofy could do at such a question was exchange a tight, pained glance, hesitating to recount a tale that had-and still was-causing them both so much worry and woe. "H-he… he was captured," Donald finally, shamefully admitted.

The ripple effect this news had on the others was stark and immediate. The members of the Restoration Committee were all stunned into silence, Axel along with them. Kairi on the other hand, let out a sharp gasp as she stumbled backward, hitting the table behind her in the process. The blow caused her teacup to topple over the edge and shatter on the ground at her feet, yet she hardly cared as the spilled tea began to pool around her shoes. In fact, the only thing she could possibly care about at the moment was Sora. _Sora_, who had been _captured_, two words that, as far as she was concerned, didn't even belong in the same sentence as each other. It was a thought so upsetting, so _sickening _that she could scarcely even stand it even as it repeated itself over and over again in her mind. And yet, in her heart, she heard that call again, obscured by a layer of distant shadow but still persistent all the same.

A cry for help, one that she knew, without a doubt now, had to be coming from none other than Sora himself.

"What do you mean he was captured?!" Axel demanded, being the first to voice one of the many questions they all had. "By who?! Was it the Organization again?"

"N-no, it was Maleficent!" Goofy anxiously informed "S-Sora, he… he just... M-Maleficent forced him to give himself up to save us!"

"And he _did_!" Donald lamented almost mournfully. "H-he just went with her-we don't even know _where_-and we couldn't stop him! This is all _our _fault!"

"I'm sure it wasn't," Leon assured, though his usually calm expression was still marred by signs of distress. "Still, if _Maleficent _has him, that can't be good."

"She's a real _witch, _that one!" Cid exclaimed with an angry shake of his fist. "We gotta figure out a way to get that poor kid out of her clutches, and _fast_."

"But how?" Aerith frowned worriedly. "We don't even know where she took him-"

"I do!" Kairi suddenly exclaimed, largely without thinking. Even so, she meant what she'd said; for as she felt Sora's heart desperately calling out to her's once more, she quickly realized that the distance between them wasn't really that far after all. "I… I think my heart is sensing Sora's," she explained the best she could. "That's what I've been feeling all morning. It _knew _that something is wrong, that he's in danger. And… I think it knows where he is too."

"Where?!" Donald and Goofy asked in frantic, hasty unison.

Kairi closed her eyes for a moment, allowing herself to focus on the connection between Sora's heart and her own before giving a resolved, certain answer. "He's _here_. In Radiant Garden. I can't tell exactly _where _he is here, but he's in this world. I know it."

"Are you sure?" Axel asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"...Yes," Kairi nodded, holding onto that spark of warmth Sora's heart always managed to carry with it, however fleeting it might have been this time. "I am."

"Well, if Maleficent really _did _bring him here, then she's probably keeping him at her old stomping grounds," Leon mused grimly.

"You don't mean…?"

"The old castle?" Yuffie finished where Aerith had left off.

"Thought that place was abandoned, fallin' apart at the seams!" Cid remarked, hands on his hips. "Then again, if Maleficent really is out and about again, I guess it'd only make sense for her to go crawling back there."

"Well, as of right now, it looks like the only lead we've really got," Axel noted.

"It's good enough for us!" Donald exclaimed, already turning to head for the door. "C'mon, Goofy! Sora needs our help!"

"Right," Goofy readily nodded before waving back to the others. "Thanks for the help, everybody! I'm sure Sora will really appreciate it too!"

"Wait!" Kairi interjected, wasting no time in hurrying after the pair, the call ringing, pleadingly, almost _painfully _within her heart, pushing her forward all the while. "If you're going to save Sora, then… then I'm coming too!"

"What?!" Donald and Goofy both shared a surprised glance at this.

Likewise, Axel seemed quite taken aback by Kairi's verve as he headed down to stand alongside her. "Whoa, hey there, Little Miss Hasty. If you're going, then there's _no _way I'm letting you go without _me_."

"I wouldn't have it any other way," Kairi said, grinning up at him gratefully.

"No," Leon interjected as he stepped forward. "Sorry, you two. I know you've been doing well with your training, but I'm sure even Merlin would agree with me when I say that neither of you are ready to face a threat like Maleficent yet."

"Yeah," Yuffie agreed before she broke into a spirited grin. "'At least not without _us_!"

"What?" Leon looked over to her incredulously. "No, Yuffie, that's not what I-"

"You all go," Aerith spoke up. "Cid and I will stay here and see if we can figure anything else out that might help."

"Aw, geez, the ol' geezer would _kill _me if he knew I was letting you kids just run head-first into danger like this... " Cid sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "But… I guess it _is _for a good cause so… go and give that wicked witch what for!"

"Don't worry!" Donald chimed as he led the way out of the house. "We will!"

"'Specially after everything she's done!" Goofy added, just as determined.

"Just make sure not to tattle on us to the old man, will ya?" Axel asked Cid and Aerith. "Don't want him finding out about her super secret forbidden rescue mission. Even if we _are _more than ready for it."

"I don't know about that…" Leon remarked, shaking his head disapprovingly as he followed Axel out.

"Don't worry," Aerith chuckled. "We won't say a word."

"Woo!" Yuffie cheered, pumping her fist excitedly for the daring adventure ahead of them. "Let's go save Sora!"

"Yeah…" Kairi quietly agreed, her hands held close to her heart as she trailed after the others. All the while letting her heart carry a comforting message she hoped he'd somehow hear. "Hold on, Sora… I'll be there for you soon."

* * *

While the room, or cell rather, had initially been cold and silent, it was anything but those things now. The walls still did put off an unnaturally frigid chill, though Sora hardly felt it as he'd instead worked up a steady sweat, his strained, sharp shouts filling in for what would have otherwise been complete and utter quiet. Still, for what seemed like the hundredth time now, he lunged forward, pulling as hard against the chains trying to hold him back as he could in the hopes that they'd somehow break, or at the very least waver. He'd been at it for hours now, or at least he assumed it had been hours since there was basically no way of telling how much time had passed in the completely enclosed cell he was trapped in. A cell that he had every intention of escaping, even if that was a feat that was quickly turning out to be more difficult than he had originally anticipated.

Despite his determined efforts, Sora had relatively little to show for his nearly nonstop resistance against his bonds. If anything, he'd only managed to approach growing exhaustion rather than escape, his breathing haggard and heavy as his bones and muscles alike ached from the immense strain he was putting them under. Yet even worse were his wrists, which, underneath both the shackles and his gloves, had been worn down by his incessant pulling to the point that they were raw, perhaps even to a dangerous degree if the sparse drops of blood that had startled trickling down his hands were any indication. Still, he didn't stop, he _couldn't _stop, not as long as there was the smallest chance that this plan, however ineffectual it was proving to be so far, could actually work, and in the process, grant him the freedom he knew he needed to reclaim before it was too late.

Yet even so, the chains still managed to pull him back once again, just as they always managed to do, sending him falling painfully back to the ground. Sora let out a tired sigh as he allowed himself a moment's rest to lie on the stone ground, allowing its chilled surface to cool him down. He'd been in plenty of tight spots before-something he'd always assumed came with the territory of being a Keyblade wielder-but scarcely could he recall being in a situation as frustratingly hard to get out of as this. Despite his doubts that Maleficent's plans for him would succeed, clearly she had still covered most, if not all of her bases with this scheme, or at the very least with how she was keeping him restrained. Without his Keyblade, he felt not just defenseless, but _powerless, _with no clear, guaranteed way of setting himself free. Unless…

Sora forced the thought out of his mind nearly the moment it entered it. Even if he did know how to intentionally tap into that immense, powerful pall of darkness buried deep inside his heart, he ultimately knew he couldn't. Because if he did, then he'd be giving Maleficent _exactly _what she wanted. Something that, for as much as he hated being bound and captive and _trapped _like this, he simply refused to do.

So instead, he picked himself up off the floor once again, tugging against the chains and ignoring the protest his agonized wrists gave him. He was more than prepared to keep this relentless struggle going, even if the chances of it working were turning out to be quite low. Yet he did put his attempt on pause as the stone wall in front of him suddenly began to rumble, and, even stranger, pull itself apart, revealing the cell wasn't as completely impenetrable as it seemed. The wall parted to create a sizable gap, and through that gap stepped in not Maleficent as Sora had initially suspected, but her head henchman instead.

"Ugh, Pete? _Really_?" Sora scoffed, annoyed as he scowled up at him. "As if this couldn't get any worse. What do _you _want?"

"Hey now! I'd watch all that sass if I were you, kid!" Pete warned as the wall closed itself back up behind him. "I'll have you know Maleficent herself asked me to come in here and stand guard over you, 'ta make sure ya ain't gettin' up to any sneak tricks that might end with you escapin'. Somebody's gotta make sure her super important plans don't fall through, and I'm the _only _one she trusts enough to do it!"

"Yeah, right," Sora dryly called his bluff. "More like she probably _ordered _you to do it."

"Wha-huh? How'd you know-oh, w-what do you know anyway?!" Pete huffed bitterly. "Point is, you'd better not try anything on my watch, kid. Or else!"

"Or else what?" Sora asked boredly. "You'll run off and tell Maleficent? Oh man, now you've _really _got me scared. _Please_, have 'mercy' on me. I'm _begging _you."

This sarcastic, insincere plea only served to set Pete off even more as he stomped a heavy foot down to silence the small, sardonic laugh Sora let out after it. "Can it, kid!" he yelled, shaking a threatening fist. "I don't think you know just how serious this whole thing really is, do ya?"

"I don't think _you _do either," Sora countered, a bit more serious this time. "Do you even know what she's planning on doing in the first place?"

"Course I do!" Pete proudly proclaimed. "She wants to take control of your Heartless. Er, uh… turn ya into a Heartless? ...Look, I don't know all of the fancy 'specifications, but what I _do _know is that we're goin' through a whole lotta trouble to make it happen, and we ain't about to let you ruin it for us!"

"It's not like I really can anyway…" Sora muttered to himself, throwing another frustrated glare back at the chains behind him. "But even if her plan _does _work, which it _won't_, what then?" he asked Pete, hoping to glean at least a bit more information about exactly what Maleficent's endgame was. "Does she think she'll 'win' if she forces me to be her obedient little Heartless and that'll just be the end of it?"

"Ha! Not even close," Pete shook his head obliviously. "Once we get you to join the winnin' team, Maleficent says you're gonna be our ticket to conquering a whole mess of worlds! Best part of it is, you've got friends in so many different places, and most of them friends would never even _think _about fighting back against ya if you came to their worlds causing all sorts of trouble. It's a pretty genius plan, iffin I do say so myself."

"More like a pretty _rotten _plan…" Sora retorted coldly. "So you and Maleficent are just gonna go to a bunch of different worlds, force me to do your dirty work for you, hurt a whole lot of innocent people, and you're just… ok with that?"

"Sure am!" Pete readily nodded. "'Specially if it means folks will finally start showin' me the respect I deserve!"

Upon hearing this, Sora found himself struck with a sudden idea, one that only seemed to solidify even more in his mind as he stole yet another glance down at the shackles on his wrist. True, it was a bit manipulative, but if he had more or less been manipulated into this terrible situation to begin with, then he saw no reason why he couldn't manipulate his way out of it as well. "...I think you mean people will show _Maleficent _respect instead," he began, coyly yet carefully. True, Pete wasn't that bright to begin with, but the last thing Sora wanted to do was ruin this ploy before it even had a chance to get off the ground.

"Wha-huh?" the henchman balked incredulously. "Uh, _no_, they'll be showin' _me _plenty of respect too! I am her right-hand-man after all."

"Yeah, but that's just it," Sora said with a knowing shrug. "You're _just _her right-hand. If she goes out and takes over a world, then _she's _the one that everyone in that world is going to listen to, _not _you. Face it, Pete; as long as you work for Maleficent, then you'll always be playing second-fiddle to her."

"S-second-fiddle!?" Pete gawked, genuinely offended by the thought. "I don't think so! You don't have any idea 'bout what you're talkin' about, kid, 'cause I can guarantee ya that I'm as big a deal as they come!"

"That's not what I've heard," Sora countered evenly, reclining back a bit on his spot on the floor. "You know, Donald and Goofy told me how you got banished from Disney Town all those years back. Sounds to me like you were just trying to get people to like you, but… you were just going about it the wrong way."

The mention of this bygone point of shame seemed to strike a chord with Pete as his steady bravado began to crumble somewhat. "O-oh yeah? Then what's the _right _way, Mr. 'I-Make-Friends-With-Everyone-Everywhere-I-Go'?"

"Well, _not _trying to take over entire worlds is a good place to start," Sora noted rather bluntly. "But if you really want more people to respect you, a _great _way to do that is by setting anything you've done wrong right. Like, oh, I dunno… maybe… setting someone you helped capture free?"

"Oh? _Oh!" _Pete scowled, catching on far faster than Sora had anticipated. "Nice try, kid! Ya nearly pulled the wool over my eyes there with all that gushy, feely talk but I'm not the kinda sucker who falls for that kinda mush! There ain't _no _way I'm lettin you off the hook that easily."

"Really?" Sora asked as calmly as he could. "Not even if I could make it worth your while?"

"Hm?" Pete crossed his arms, admittedly intrigued. "And how's that?"

"I'm close friends with the king, remember?" Sora pointed out. "And if you let me go, then I might be able to put in a good word for you with him. Who knows? Maybe he'll even lift your banishment! You could finally go back home!"

"...Home, huh?" Pete perked up, seeming to consider the idea for a moment before he stubbornly shook his head. "Tch, and what makes you think I even _wanna _go back to that backwoods berg of a world in the first place?"

"Well, it _is _where you're from, right? I can't imagine somebody not wanting to go back to where they came from at least once. Plus, it'd be a good way for you to start all over there, earn people's respect the _right _way by being a _friend _instead of a conqueror."

"Mm… well… _maybe_…" Pete mused, genuinely considering the idea, though it was clear he was still rather apprehensive about it. "B-but how do I know you're not just yankin' my chain so I'll let you outta yours?!"

"Because that's another thing friends do," Sora said with an assuring, honest smile. "They keep their promises. Which, by the way, is _another _sure-fire way to earn someone's respect, in case you were wondering."

For what seemed like ages, the henchman said nothing, pondering over his options with a clear, conflicted expression. Sora let him do so, hoping that, for his part, he'd done a well enough job of convincing Pete to, if nothing else, abandon Maleficent's malicious plan at the very least. And it seemed as though that was starting to become the case as Pete let out a small, wavering, but anxious sigh. "I-if Maleficent finds out, she's gonna-"

"Maleficent doesn't need to know," Sora interjected firmly. "All you need to do is let me out of these chains and open that wall back up for me, and then I can take care of the rest. And if she does find out, then just tell her I found a way to escape on my own. It's that easy."

"_Easy_? Easy for _you _to say," Pete scoffed. "You got no idea how much I'll be puttin' on the line here for you if I do this, kid."

"Believe me, I do," Sora said, his tone sincere and understanding. "But if you really do help me out of this, then I _won't _forget that you did. I promise."

By this point, Pete was somewhere between fuming and caving complete, especially as he stole an anxious glance back at the wall he'd entered the cell through. Almost as if he was afraid that Maleficent would also walk through it to hear this exchange and severely chew him out for even indulging the thought of letting their captive simply run free. Or rather, _her _captive, as Pete had never really been the biggest fan of Maleficent's bid to take Sora hostage in the first place. While frustrating and rife with countless dead ends, their search for the black box had, at the very least, been simple enough with a clear prize in mind, even if it was a prize neither of them really knew that much about. But ever since Maleficent had turned her sights away from the box and toward Sora instead, things had gotten so _complicated_, or at least they were in Pete's eyes. Because now here they were, actively attacking foes that they usually just taunted, capturing enemies they would have typically just threatened. It was all so strange, so _unlike _what they normally got up to, to the point that Pete wasn't entirely sure how he felt about any of it. And that general uneasiness, paired with the admittedly hopeful promises Sora was offering him for a chance at genuine respect he'd craved for so long now, finally proved to be enough to get the henchman to relent. Albeit quite begrudgingly all the same. "Augh! Fine!" he snapped, frustrated, even as he fished a key ring out of his pocket. "But just as long as you hightail it outta here as quick as you can without causing any sort of stir Maleficent might find out about. Got it?"

"Don't worry," Sora readily agreed, holding back a sigh of relief as Pete moved to unlock the base of the chains. "I don't have any plans on sticking around _any _longer than I need to."

"Yeah, yeah," the henchman sullenly grumbled as he unlatched the chains from the floor. "You'd better watch yourself once you get out of here though; Maleficent has this whole place _crawlin' _with Heartless."

"Well, they shouldn't be _that _much of a problem," Sora did end up letting that allayed sigh out as he finally, properly stood for the first time in what felt like ages, though all the while, his wrists were still weighed down by the heavy shackles and the disconnected chains still hanging from them. "Um… What about these?" he held his bound wrists up to Pete.

The henchman frowned as he checked over his key right-which only had one key on it to begin with-before looking down to the pair of shackles that, in turn, had no lock to speak of on either of them. "Er… I dunno nothin' about those. Maleficent must've magicked 'em up herself."

"Of course she did…" Sora groaned, exasperated. Especially since the shackles staying meant that his Keyblade was still off-limits, a handicap he hadn't anticipated but would clearly have to endure for just a bit longer. Even so, he was ready to make that handicap less of a hindrance all the same as he wrapped the chains around the shackles in the hopes of making them just a bit less cumbersome. "I guess I'll just have to make do then… Still, thank you, Pete."

"Hey, what'd I say about all that gushy talk!?" Pete huffed, feigning annoyance.

"I know, but I mean it," Sora said with an earnest smile. "And I meant what I said earlier too. I do appreciate this and I really owe you for it."

"Yeah, well you'll never get to make it up to me if ya don't shut your yap and get outta here already!" Pete fussed, pressing one of the stone bricks on the far wall to get it to slide open, revealing the only real way out. "What, do ya want Maleficent to catch us right here and now and throttle us both?!"

"Well, I don't know about you, but she'd have to catch me first," Sora let out a spirited chuckle as he hurried through the opening wall, though not before offering the henchman another genuinely cordial wave on the way out. "Thanks again!"

Pete only barely resisted the urge to return that wave as he watched Sora begin his escape, shaking his head as he spared a good bit of worry for the boy's fate as well as his own. "Darn kid…" he sighed apprehensively. Yet at the same time, he couldn't help but feel the strangest sense of satisfaction too; satisfaction over a wrong that was about to be set right. Or, at least he hoped it was. "He's gonna get himself killed out there."

"Now, now, Pete. I wouldn't be _too _terribly concerned with his well being if I were you. Especially since I still need him _alive_..."

Pete froze up the moment he heard Maleficent's voice chiming into the room, nearly falling flat on his face as he spun around to watch her step out of a dark corridor right behind him. "M-Maleficent!" he stammered, immediately panicking. "I-I wasn't-I didn't-ya see what happened was the kid, h-he just-"

"Still your tongue, you bumbling fool," Maleficent cut him off, her tone surprisingly calm and cool. For a moment, she said nothing as she stepped forward, regarding the spot where Sora had just been chained up moments ago with an unreadable gaze before she spoke just as aloofly. "Under normal circumstances, I would find myself being quite… outraged over the mere thought of you simply letting our special 'guest' run free. But these _aren't _normal circumstances, which is exactly why I tasked _you _with guarding the boy in particular, Pete."

"Wha… what are you talkin' about?" Pete dared to nervously ask.

There was a hint of a scowl on Maleficent's face this time around as she turned to face him. "Only _you _would be utterly dull enough to let yourself be so easily duped by a mere _child_. But fortunately for you, your bout of… feeble sympathy factors _perfectly _into my plans…"

"Wait, wait, wait," Pete shook his head, still not following. "Y-you're tellin' me you _wanted _me to let the kid go? After all the trouble it took to get him here in the first place?"

"Precisely," the dark fairy nodded, evenly.

"Uh… but why?"

Maleficent's lips finally curled into a sinister grin as she hovered her hand over her staff, conjuring up an image of Sora as he began rushing down the castle halls, looking for some way to truly escape. "It's as I said before: the way to getting the Heartless I desire is a simple one. All I need to do is engulf his heart in the deepest darkness and despair and the rest is sure to follow."

"And… lettin' him go is gonna do that… how?" Pete asked with growing worry as he looked not to Maleficent but to the show of constant surveillance she was keeping on Sora instead.

"By loosening the leash," Maleficent began to explain, using her magic to create another illusion of Sora entirely. One that steadily began to dim and darken as shadows began to flood out from his heart, even as he seemingly continued running away. "Giving him a sense of false hope. Allowing him the tiniest taste of the freedom he so desperately craves. And then…" The dark fairy suddenly snapped her open hand into a tight fist, and along with it, the fake Sora was abruptly consumed by darkness altogether, letting out a pained scream that Pete fretfully flinched along with the moment he heard it. And as that scream died out, all that remained was a sinister, shadowy creature, barely even human and ready to devastate and destroy on nothing more than an instinctual whim. "Then ripping that freedom and every single last ounce of hope he's ever had away from completely. Then, and only then," she smirked cruelty, waving her hand over the creature she'd conjured, watching with sadistic delight as his golden eyes turned green and he bowed low in unquestionable reverence to her and her alone. "Will I _finally _have the 'pet' that will be the key to helping us conquer this world… and _so _many more…"

* * *

Sora had never realized just how much he relied on his Keyblade until now.

Because here he was, running, or rather sneaking, through some unknown labyrinth, completely unarmed without his usual trusty weapon. To make matters worse, true to Pete's word, the place was crawling with Heartless at nearly every turn as they absently meandered about the winding corridors. Sora had nearly ran straight into one such group of creatures almost as soon as he was let out of the cell, the dull rattle of the chains wrapped around his wrists perking their attention but fortunately not giving him away entirely as he slipped out of their sight by way of an adjacent hallway. Still, the risky moment had offered him a valuable lesson: if he truly wanted to escape, then he'd have to rely on something _other _than his Keyblade to help him do it.

That something was namely stealth, a skill that Sora couldn't exactly claim to be great at, though he had dabbled in it from time to time in the past. And yet this time around, staying stealthy was already proving to be a much more difficult challenge. Without his Keyblade he had basically nothing to fall back on if he was caught, other than running as fast as he possibly could in the hopes that he could simply get away. But even aside from that was the mazelike series of passageways and corridors that seemed to lead absolutely nowhere in particular, a maze that he was all too quickly starting to get lost in the longer he wandered it dark, unchanging halls. And to top it all off were the shackles, still weighing heavily on his worn wrists, weighted down even more by the chains wrapped around them. The potential for those chains to make substantial, damming noise for the Heartless to hear had already forced Sora to slow his progress quite a bit, but even beyond that, they were bulky and burdensome, to the point that even lifting his arms at all was starting to become a tiring task. With all these factors combined, it was easy to see that the odds were stacked heavily against him in this escape attempt in just about every way. And yet, Sora was determined not to let those sour odds stop him, especially not when he was bounding closer and closer to freedom with every step he took.

He did stop short, however, upon passing by what had to be the first window he'd spotted thus far. The mere glimpse of the outside world alone was like a miracle in and of itself, much less a glimpse of bright, clear daylight. And though it was a bit of a risk, Sora still took the opportunity to take a glance out that window in the hopes of getting more context as to exactly where Maleficent had been holding him captive in the first place.

"Wait…" Sora said to himself, almost immediately recognizing the wide, desolate valley that lay far and wide below wherever he was currently looking upon it from. And even more than that, he recognized the towering city that lay on the distant end of that valley, one that he'd been to many times before. "Is that… Radiant Garden?!" He couldn't help but let out a small, incredulous laugh as he pulled away from the window, relief bubbling up inside his chest as it pushed him onward once more.

Really, he couldn't have asked for better luck when it came to the world Maleficent had secreted him away to. Because as soon as he got out of whatever unknown structure he was currently making his way through, Sora was confident that the rest would be ridiculously easy. All he'd have to do is make it to the city, show up at Merlin's house and, with some help from the wizard as well as the Restoration Committee, contacting Donald and Goofy to reunite with them would be a breeze. And from there, their search for the Keys could just as easily continue, as if it had never been interrupted in the first place. True, they'd still have both Maleficent and the Organization to contend with, but from now on, Sora was intent on making it his mission to be ready for them, to prevent anything like this from ever happening again.

As high as his spirits now were, however, his escape attempt was nearly halted entirely as he prepared to round the next corner into another long corridor. However, he skidded to a quick stop upon spotting a cluster of Heartless gathered at the far end of that hall, though Sora found exactly _what _they were all clustered before far more interesting. It was a door, the first he'd really seen thus far, large and important-looking enough that certainly it had to lead to _some _way out, and as far as he was concerned, it was a way he was going to take. He just had to figure out how to get past the multitude of Heartless guarding it.

Sora tucked away behind the corner once more, giving himself a moment to think. His lack of a Keyblade aside, he didn't have too much at his disposal to work with here, save for the chains and shackles around his wrists. Yet as he looked to those hard, durable, metal shackles, he finally did manage to come up with a way to turn them into some form of help rather than a hindrance for the first time since all of this had begun.

After loosening the chains so they hung free from the shackles once more, Sora boldly stepped out into the open, catching the Heartless' attention with a high, loud whistle. All of the creatures immediately whirled around to face him, and in a similar way, they wasted no time all rushing for him at once. On instinct, he tried summoning his Keyblade one final time, but upon getting no results, he decided to venture on with his original impromptu plan. The moment the first Heartless rushed into his range, he lashed out, widely swinging a fist toward it while intentionally keeping his aim a bit off in the process. Sure enough, his hand didn't connect with the winged creature, but shackle did, brutally beating into it to the point that it was easily knocked aside altogether. The sharp blow did strike a painful sting through his withered wrist, but Sora forced himself to ignore it as he pulled the chains back in toward him to make his next move.

While the string of chains wasn't very long, he still found a good use for them as he tossed them at the next Heartless in his path. The smaller monster easily wavered under their weight allowing him to sprint onward, even as more Heartless eagerly awaited to get the jump on him. He didn't give them much of a chance however, between his continued barrage of physical attacks. None of them actually took out any of the Heartless entirely-he could only effectively do that with his Keyblade on hand-but the unexpected blows did stun the dull creatures enough to push them out of his way as he bolted toward the door as fast as he could. The Heartless got in plenty of swipes and swings of their own , but none of them were severe enough to slow Sora down too much, especially as every step took him closer to the door, closer to escape, closer to _freedom _and closer to his friends.

Which was why, even as the Heartless continued to relentlessly pursue him, Sora didn't hesitate to throw that door wide open the instant he reached it. Likewise, he didn't think twice about rushing through it, throwing his weight against it to shove it shut behind him to keep the Heartless from pursuing him any further. In the brief moment of newfound peace that followed, he allowed himself a moment to catch his lost breath, though as soon as he glanced up to see what awaited him beyond the door, he instantly lost it again.

"Ah, so you've finally arrived," Maleficent held a steady, confident grin as she greeted Sora smoothly. "And here I was starting to wonder if perhaps you'd gotten lost. But here you are, just in time, right back where you first started."

Sora started the moment he realized she was _right_; because sitting right there in the center of the square stone corridor, one that was filled with an all-too-familiar kind of cold, was the base his chains had once been bound to. He had gone in a perfect circle, and in doing so, had fallen exactly into a trap he hadn't even seen coming. "N-no," he choked, his eyes wide with alarm as he quickly turned back toward the door. Yet the moment his hand so much as skimmed it, it completely disappeared, his only real chance at escaping, at freedom, disappearing right along with it.

"Yes," Maleficent countered, her staff appearing in her hands as she took a step forward. "I have to admit, I'm quite impressed with you, Sora. You've managed to make it make it quite far, all without your Keyblade _and _without relying on the darkness, even when it would have been far easier for you if you had. But despite your resourceful efforts, I'm afraid to say that your little escape attempt ends here."

"No, it doesn't," Sora said rigidly, holding his arms up defensively, his hands curled into tight, ready fists. "Let me out or _else_."

"Really?" Maleficent raised an eyebrow. "I would think you're in absolutely _no _position to make threats. You have no weapon, no magic, no _friends _to stand by your side. And without any of those, what really can you hope to accomplish on your own?"

"You're wrong. I may not be able to use my Keyblade or any magic," Sora admitted, his stern manner not diminishing, even though his back was quite literally up against the wall. "But my friends are _always _with me, inside my heart. And as long as they are, I don't care what you try to do to me, I will never, _ever _give up!"

Maleficent's otherwise calm expression turned cold and cross at this, her grip on her staff tightening ever so slightly. Even so, she held her temper, staying her course as she met her captive's courageous resolve just as evenly. "We'll just see about that…"

She swiftly raised her staff at this, magic pouring from it to conjure new chains entirely that bursted into existence from the chamber's high ceiling. They aggressively whipped their way toward Sora and before he even had a chance to try and evade them, they sharply connected with the chains already hanging from his wrists. As a result, he was harshly yanked forward and upward to the point that he was now dangling from the ceiling by his wrists, exacerbating the injuries already inflicted on them even more. Still, he bit back a sudden cry of pain, forcing himself to remain unshaken even as the tables were turned dramatically against him.

"What a pity," Maleficent mused as she stepped up to him. Even though they were now basically at eye-level with each other, she still perched a cold hand under his chin, forcing him to meet her icy gaze, despite his resilient attempt to resist her. "This could have gone so much easier if not for your impertinent stubbornness. I even gave you an opportunity, clear as day, to tap into that rich, powerful darkness locked deep within you. And yet, you took that opportunity… and turned it into a disappointment instead."

"Well, maybe I _would _be sorry about that," Sora deadpanned crossly as he offered her a relentless glare. "If I even knew how to do it in the first place. I've never done that on purpose before and believe me, it's not something I ever _would _do on purpose, especially not for you."

"Oh? Well, that's certainly some _interesting _news to hear…" Maleficent mused, fascinated. "But if you really are having trouble unleashing that power, then maybe all you need is a gentle… push in the right direction…"

She raised her staff once again, slowly this time as bright green magic bloomed around its orb. Her sadistic grin only deepened as she began to draw it in toward Sora, who, even from a distance, could feel the immense, raw, _devastating _power approaching him. And with no other way to really escape that power himself, he instead put forth the very last-ditch effort he could think of to try and keep it from reaching him. "W-wait," Sora spoke up and sure enough Maleficent stilled her hand, though her staff was still hovering dangerously close to him. "Maleficent, you don't have to do this. What you're after-conquering worlds or whatever else you want-it _can't _be worth all this, can it?"

His earnest appeal was merely met with a disgusted scoff. "_Please_, spare me your dull rhetoric," Maleficent rolled her eyes, bored. "Pete may have been _painfully _simple enough to fall for such a pathetic ploy, but such meager attempts at begging for mercy won't work on me. I know exactly what I want, and… I know _exactly _how I'm going to obtain it…"

Before Sora even had so much as a chance to get another word of protest out, the staff suddenly touched him, its blindingly emerald orb pressed surprisingly lightly against the center of his chest as Maleficent forced its unknown magic into him. The effect was immediate, as pain, stark and severe in every single sense, tightly clenched his heart in less than an instant, refusing to let its brutal grip go as it quickly began to spread out from there. White, hot agony washed over him like a massive wave as that mysterious, powerful magic flooded through every single part of his body, swelling in an even higher tide of unimaginable anguish. When Maleficent finally did pull her scepter away what felt like ages later, Sora involuntarily lurched forward in his chains, unable to do much else, including let out the heavy cry of pain that refused to let itself be heard just as his body refused to move on his own accord whatsoever. If anything, he seemed to be completely paralyzed, his head lolling forward as that horrific magic-propelled pain continued spiraling ever deeper, twisting its way into his very blood like the poison it so clearly was. That poison made itself known not just internally, but externally too as it illuminated his veins in a haunting green glow, that very same glow tainting even his eyes as it overtook nearly every trace of blue within them. With his voice being all but stolen from him, he practically had to force himself to breathe, though when he did, it came out in short, ragged gasps of air that were never enough as the poison seemed to strangle him on top of everything else. And all the while, that pain just kept coming, continually drowning him and dulling his senses to the point that he could think of nothing else, not even as Maleficent forcefully guided his exhausted, half-lidded gaze up toward her once more.

"Still not enough, I see…" she mused, more to herself than to Sora. She did crack something of a satisfied smile upon taking in her now helpless captive's listless, agonized expression, watching with cruel amusement as tears steadily started building up in his falsely green eyes. "Not enough…" she repeated. "But still, so _very _close all the same…"

_Stop… _Sora wanted to say, _tried _to say, but the desperate plea just wouldn't come out. Instead it remained trapped in his throat, much in the same way that he largely felt trapped inside his own body, completely incapable of so much as moving it even slightly as the poison had sapped any control he once had over it away from him. Though he could still see and hear everything going on around him, he could do nothing to stop Maleficent as she continued to will her malicious magic to painfully pulse through him, no matter how much he wished he could. And as a result, whatever hopes he'd had mere moments ago of an easy escape, or really an escape in general, were all too quickly starting to crumble to pieces all around him. He'd been so close, _so _close to putting a stop to this nightmare, but in the end, he had only fallen even deeper into it to the point that he wondered if there really was any way out of it at all.

"Don't fret, child," Maleficent eased, her tone falsely sweet and soothing as she patronizingly thumbed one of Sora's stray tears away. "Your suffering will be over soon. And once it is, just think of the incredible strength that you'll possess in its place. Strength that will be put to perfect use… in service to _me_."

She let out a small, sinister laugh at this, one that only grew louder and more twisted as she called upon her magic again, this time to repeat a similar tactic she'd used before. Thick, thorny vines burst out from the stone ground below Sora, quickly twisting and curling upward as they latched tightly onto his incapacitated body. Their thorns, imbued with pure darkness, tore into his skin, cutting deep as they ravaged his clothes in a similar careless manner. Their presence only amplified the pain caused by the poison to an overwhelming extent, especially as the vines worked their way upward, only stopping as they entwined themselves around his arms and skimmed his neck. Something about them rang familiar in a way Sora couldn't quite place at the moment, not that it really mattered to begin with. Because all the while, he still couldn't fight them, still couldn't resist as they began to submerge him in a haze of growing shadows pervading his mind, a haze that was urging him to let it overtake him entirely. And as it did, the only thing he could do was silently beg for a release he wouldn't see, for mercy he wouldn't receive, for freedom he wouldn't get.

And yet, for as hopeless as it all seemed, as high as the likelihood of losing himself to the pull the darkness was eagerly starting to take on him was, some small voice ringing out from deep inside him was saying something else entirely. A voice he knew, one that gave his hurting, weakening heart a much-needed sense of peace and comfort as it offered him a promise he desperately needed at a moment like this:

"_Hold on, Sora. I'll be there for you soon…"_

She'd be there soon, to bring her beautiful, healing light to pierce the wicked shadows starting to close in all around him. The mere thought was enough to encourage him to keep going, to put every last ounce of his waning strength toward simply _surviving _instead of falling back and allowing the darkness to do that for him. Even if only for the hope of getting to see her one last time before he lost himself altogether.

So if holding on was the only option he had now, then that was exactly what he was going to do. Because as far as he was concerned, if there was anything or anyone worth holding on through all of the pain, all of the torment, and all of the fear, then it would _always _be her.

* * *

The wide valley that lay just outside the outskirts of Radiant Garden had, not too long ago, been the battleground of a fierce conflict against the full force of a massive Heartless threat. Yet even now, over a year after that battle had passed, the dry canyon still echoed with an unsettling sort of silence. Silence that only seemed to grow more ominous as the small group pressed further away from the safety of the shining city and closer toward the unknown dangers of shadowy castle ahead.

Their journey had largely been a solemn one, rife with mutual concern for Sora's wellbeing all around. Donald and Goofy were by far the most vocal in their concern for their companion, largely since they were still quite shaken from watching his capture firsthand. Even so, they still did their best to answer the multitude of questions Leon, Yuffie, and Axel all had about what had happened in the first place, most of which were questions the pair had no real answers to.

For her part, Kairi had plenty of questions about this situation as a whole, but she largely kept them to herself. Instead, she kept her focus on the road ahead, her eyes rarely straying from the castle before them as she felt that familiar, yearning pang tugging at her heart all the while. The fact that it only grew stronger the closer they got to their destination was certainly a testament to the fact that Sora had to be there. But outside of that, that was all Kairi really knew. She couldn't tell exactly _where _in the castle he was, or what had befallen him, or if he was hurt-the outcome she feared perhaps more than anything else. She had no doubts that Sora could handle himself in a pinch just fine, she'd seen him do so plenty of times in the past. But this felt… different somehow, in a way she couldn't place but the mere feeling alone unnerved her. Something felt off, _wrong _even, to the point that Kairi wanted nothing more than to rush into that castle and get Sora out of it as soon as possible just to put an end to the anxious uneasiness she'd been feeling all day. Just to make sure that he was finally safe.

"So my question is," Axel began as casually as ever. "Now that Maleficent's got Sora, what does she even want with him in the first place?"

"We… have no idea," Donald admitted fretfully.

"Yeah, she didn't really explain much before she took off with him," Goofy sighed, just as worried for their young companion's fate.

"Maybe this is all just one big revenge scheme?" Yuffie suggested. "You guys _have _put her in her place more than a few times now, so what if she's doing all this to get back at the three of you?"

"But if that were the case, then she would have gone after _all _three of them," Leon pointed out. "Not just Sora. She must have singled him out for a reason. But that still begs the question of what that reason is in the first place."

"Well, Maleficent and Pete _were _lookin' for some sort of black box," Goofy noted. "But then she made it sound like she wasn't anymore when she captured Sora. And even if she was, it doesn't make a whole lotta sense for her to go after him since he doesn't know anything about it."

"Who knows?" Donald countered, a hint of bitter aggravation in his tone. "Maybe he _does_. It wouldn't be that surprising when you think about all the _other _secrets he's been keeping from us lately."

"Secrets?" Kairi tuned back into the conversation upon hearing this. "What kind of secrets?"

Donald and Goofy exchanged something of an apprehensive glance at this, both of them knowing that Sora likely wouldn't be too keen on them divulging such secrets to Kairi in particular. And yet, given the circumstances, they were hard pressed _not _to at this point. "Well, first there was that big scar Young Xehanort landed on his chest that just won't seem to heal for anything," Goofy began.

"Then there's the cracks that started showing up on his Keyblade," Donald added with a small, frustrated huff. "He says he doesn't know where they came from, but he _still _hid them and that scar from us when he _knew _about them all along!"

"B-but… why would he do that?" Kairi asked with a worried frown. After all, for as long as she'd known Sora, if there was one thing she knew he _never _did, it was keep secrets, especially not ones this significant and _especially _not from his friends.

"We… don't really know…" Goofy admitted as Donald let out an equally fretful sigh.

Kairi said nothing else in response to this as she instead turned her sights toward the castle before them. "Sora…" she whispered softly, worry starting to brim inside her heart just as much as confusion was. To her, it made no sense that he'd try to hide things that were as deeply troubling as an unhealable scar or a cracked Keyblade, even if she had no idea what either of those things _really _meant. But needless to say that the moment they found him, she'd have an abundance of questions for him, questions that she wouldn't let go unanswered as his companions might have before.

And yet, those questions all immediately fell to the wayside as a sudden, sharp burst of agony that spiked directly at her heart. She let out an equally pained cry to go along with it, one that echoed through the canyon and instantly caught the attention of the others as they all turned to see her grasping at her heart as she began to collapse to her knees. Before she could completely fall, however, Axel was quick to rush in to catch her, allowing her to lean against him as she tried to regather her bearings amidst the brutal pain still gnawing at her heart. "Kairi, what happened?" Axel asked her, his tone both intent and rife with concern. "What's wrong?"

"I-I… i-it's Sora," Kairi choked out, not even needing a moment to think twice. After all, the anguish gripping her heart had come with something else entirely: his already palpable cry for help turning into an immense, _desperate _plea. A plea for freedom that, for whatever reason, he was now powerless to try to reclaim on his own. "S-something's wrong, I don't know what, b-but… I…" she hesitated, shuddering at the thought the moment it came to her, even as the pain slowly started to die down on her end. Though she was still certain it was doing anything but on Sora's. "I think something h-horrible is happening to him…"

"W-what?!" Goofy gasped, alarmed.

"Sora!" Donald shouted, readily turning back toward the castle.

"If that's true, then we don't have any time to waste," Leon said sternly. "Lea, take Kairi back to town. We'll-"

"N-no!" Kairi protested, pushing herself out of Axel's arms as she forced herself to stand upright once more. "I'm _not _going back! Especially not when we're this close. Sora wouldn't turn back if I were in trouble which means _I'm _not turning back now that _he's _in trouble!"

"Are you sure?" Yuffie asked with a worried frown. "If you're not feeling up for it, then there's no shame in heading back. I'm sure Sora would understand."

"No, I'm positive," Kairi nodded, resolved. Briefly, she glanced back at Axel for support, which, even despite his clear concern for her, he ultimately provided all the same.

"Hey, I'm with her," Axel shrugged with an easy smile. "Plus, walking _all _the way back with nothing to show for it? Gotta say, I'm _not _a fan of that idea."

"We're wasting time!" Donald snapped impatiently. "Sora needs our help _now_!"

"Which means we gotta _go_!" Goofy added just as urgently as he followed the magician in running on ahead.

None of the others could really argue as they all quickly did the same, not taking any more time for further deliberations. Especially since there didn't seem to be much time to waste at all now. Even if Kairi didn't really know _what _was happening to Sora, there was no question that it was something awful if the brief but persistent waves of pain still striking at her heart seemingly every other minute were any indication. She could tell that it was probably only a fraction of what he was actually going through, and as a result, she couldn't help but wonder just how long he'd be able to last against it. True, she knew Sora was strong in more ways than one, but when submerged in a sea of such endless agony, how strong could anyone really hope to be?

Yet even despite that, the connection between their hearts still remained, still bound them together and told her that he was still there. He was still _alive, _still _surviving _through it all, even if that survival had to be an immense struggle in and of itself between whatever suffering he was currently enduring. Which was why Kairi was determined, intent on ending that suffering, to do whatever it took to save Sora, just as he'd saved her before.

It was a favor she'd been meaning to return for quite some time; and now, she would settle for nothing less than doing exactly that.

* * *

"Uh… Maleficent? Y-you sure this is such a good idea?" Pete asked nervously as he hung back near the edge of the chamber. Maleficent impatiently paced around before him, or rather, before Sora, who was still heavily bound by both chains and vines alike. Likewise, he was still completely subdued as the poison continued to take a heavy toll on him, his veins still unnaturally glowing green to match the mass of vines keeping him in thrall. Despite his resolve to resist and survive, there was still little he could do to stop the poison from pervading his senses, largely stealing his sight and his hearing in the same way it'd taken his voice. As barely conscious as he currently was, the most he was even aware of were the slightest of sensations, dull noises and blurry glimpses of what was really happening around him, none of which really registered given how exhausted he was. Despite that exhaustion, the amount of seemingly endless pain still constantly flowing through him was still crystal clear, driving him to the edge of relinquishing himself to it with each passing moment just to finally get it to _end_. And yet, no matter how close he came to doing just that, he still refused to all the same.

"Quiet, you imbecile," Maleficent finally snapped at her henchman. "I have no time for your simpleminded sympathy. May I remind you that had such idiotic notions _not _factored into my plans, your bumbling incompitence might have ruined them completely?"

"Er... y-yeah, but…" Pete hesitated, casting another admittedly worried glance over at Sora. "A-are ya sure the kid's even still alive back there? He's lookin' a little… well, _dead _to me."

"Of _course _he's not dead, fool," Maleficent scowled, even if her captive did certainly look like he was. Amidst the poison and the vines doing their wicked work, his skin had paled dramatically, taking on an ashy pallor that was tinged with a sickly shade of green thanks to the glow of his veins. But even more than that, his body was completely still, unable to move whatsoever as his once-heavy breathing had quieted to the point that it was barely even audible anymore. Even his eyes, still shining an unearthly kind of emerald, were only slightly open, though they really didn't see much of anything as the vines kept his head tilted slightly upward all the while. "You know just as well as I do that killing him was never my intention to begin with," Maleficent continued coldly. "After all, if he dies, then my carefully-laid plans die right along with him, which is something I simply _refuse _to allow."

"Then… do ya really think we need to do… all this?" Pete ventured carefully, knowing he was practically walking on eggshells with Maleficent as it was. "I mean, it's not like anybody knows he's even here. We got all the time in the world to kill! So… isn't just keepin' him locked up nice 'n tight enough to get the job done?"

"Clearly, it's _not_," Maleficent said flatly as she turned back to Sora, sending him hateful glare. "This method is bound to yield the results I want sooner or later. And if it doesn't… then I suppose we'll just have to resort to _other _methods instead…"

"Your method is hardly the problem. Your _execution _on the other hand, could use some work…"

Maleficent and Pete both started, genuinely surprised as a dark corridor suddenly opened up on the far side of the chamber. And out of that darkness stepped none other than Master Xehanort himself.

"You!" Maleficent exclaimed, immediately recognizing the elderly master from an encounter years ago. And given what she knew of him and his intent, she quickly raised her guard, eyeing him distrustfully as he slowly stepped forward. "What business have you here?"

"Worry not, my 'business' will be brief," Xehanort assured, casting only a cursory glance at Maleficent in favor of focusing more on Sora instead. "I've simply come to check on my newest vessel."

"You… _your _vessel?" Maleficent burst into a bout of incredulous laughter at this, clearly not taking his bold statement seriously. "You must be mistaken. You see, the boy is already well on his way to becoming _mine_."

Xehanort said nothing to this as he instead came to a stop right in front of Sora, who was more or less completely oblivious to his presence, even as he slid a careful finger under his chin to properly inspect him. And yet, the moment the elderly master so much as touched him, Sora managed to let out a small, weak whine of pain, pain that stabbed at his heart in particular like a sharp, deadly knife. "Perhaps he _would _be," Xehanort said to Maleficent, still keeping his sights set on Sora as a satisfied smirk crossed his face. "If I hadn't laid claim to his heart first."

"Oh really?" Maleficent scoffed. "I find that hard to believe, especially since he's still just as frustratingly rebellious as he's ever been, even now when he's this close to falling apart at the seams. He's hardly the epitome of subservient obedience to anyone, including _you_."

"Ah, that's because unlike you, I've chosen to take my time with the boy," Xehanort said, glancing back at her coolly. "I've always found that patience yields the best results, particularly when it comes to securing the necessary pawns in a well-crafted plan. But I can guarantee you that _my _plan has already been in motion for quite some time now, and when it does at last reach its completion…" He paused, turning back to Sora once again. "Then I'll have both the final vessel I require, and the key to open the door to _so _much more beyond that…"

"Not if _my _plan succeeds first, you won't!" Maleficent seethed bitterly. "I've put far too much time and effort into my ambitions to watch them all fall apart because of the likes of _you_. You may think you have him pegged as your 'vessel', but mark my words: before the sun sets on this very day, I _will _make sure that he will become _my _loyal Heartless instead!"

Surprisingly, the elderly master merely kept his calm grin as he nodded approvingly at this. "Yes, I would very much like to see you do exactly that," he mused almost knowingly, only briefly glancing away from Sora and back at Maleficent instead. "After all, we both want the boy for largely the same purpose: to use him as a weapon. The only difference lies in what _kind _of weapon each of us wishes to turn him into."

Maleficent narrowed her eyes suspiciously, still trying to figure out exactly what Xehanort's intentions here were to begin with. "What are you talking about? What kind of a weapon are you-"

"Now, now, it's nothing you need to concern yourself with," Xehanort interjected. "After all, you seem to be quite preoccupied with your own ambitions, which is why I won't trouble you any further. Though before I go… a word of advice. You may have already restrained his body and overwhelmed his mind, but if you _really _wish to force him out of the light, then you need to plunge his _heart _into darkness above all else."

"His heart…?" Maleficent questioned, admittedly curious.

"Allow me to demonstrate." With this, Xehanort lifted his hand, flexing his fingers as dark energy began to swirl around them. That very same darkness quickly enveloped Sora, surrounding him like a heavy shroud as it flooded out from his very own heart. It was enough to draw a heavy cry of anguish out of him, finally breaking his involuntary silence as his body jolted back against both the vines and the chains. His eyes shot wide open but still they saw nothing as the green that had taken over them was soon conquered by an equally bright shade of gold instead. Maleficent and Pete were both quite alarmed as they watched this startling display, unsure of what to do or say as Xehanort continued forcing his oppressive power onto Sora, ignoring his agonized screams all the while. Those screams finally did fall back into silence however, as the elderly master finally stilled his hand, though the haze of his dark power still remained around his proposed vessel all the same.

"W-what… what did you do?!" Maleficent demanded, taking a bold step forward as she sent a fierce glare Xehanort's way.

"I gave you exactly what was needed to help you get what you want," he said vaguely, ominously even as he called upon another dark corridor to take his leave. "You can thank me at your leisure. Oh, and do make sure to take good care of him. As I've said, I'll have need of him as my thirteenth vessel soon enough. But in the meantime, consider him to be all yours…" And with that, the elderly master left without another word, his unknown, sinister goal accomplished, whatever it might have been.

Yet even though Xehanort was gone, Maleficent was hardly satisfied by the encounter. "If that old _fool _thinks he can come here and take what's rightfully mine, then he-"

"Uh… M-Maleficent?" Pete dared to speak up, flinching in fear as she viciously spun around to face him.

"Whatis it, you idiot?!" she snapped, furious.

"L-look!" he pointed a trembling finger at Sora.

Maleficent swiftly did so, only to be met with a sight that completely caught her by surprise. Sure enough, shadows still hung heavily over Sora, brightened only by the glow poison still painting his veins. And yet something else was starting to obscure even that as a pitch black pall of darkness began crawling up his arms and legs, darkness that was clearly visible even despite the vines still clinging tightly to them. It was slow going, but that tide of shadows was steadily starting to swell over him, a sight that immediately replaced Maleficent's bitter scowl with a twistedly delighted smile the moment she noticed how familiar those shadows were.

"W-what did that ol' coot do to him…?" Pete wondered fretfully, watching with growing fear as the darkness only seemed to cover Sora more and more with each passing second.

"He did just as he said…" Maleficent's wicked smirk deepened as she realized just how incredibly _close _she was to obtaining the prize she was after. A prize that had all but been guaranteed to her now thanks to the elderly master's mysterious intervention. "He gave us _exactly _what we needed to get what I desire…"

* * *

For as immobile as the poison had forced his body to be, Sora had done his best to put all of his fastly fading energy into making sure his heart wouldn't fall victim to the same fate. After all, it was really the only thing currently keeping him in his right mind, even as it continually wavered on the edge of staying in the light and falling into the darkness beckoning to it. Yet as that darkness continued to wear every fiber of his being down to the point of overwhelming exhaustion, it was starting to become painfully clear that this was a battle he wouldn't be able to win. At least not on his own.

Which was why, as he steadily started to lose that battle, the other hearts deep within his own rose to the occasion to fight that battle in his stead.

Leading this valiant effort was Roxas, who, despite not being able to clearly tell who was accompanying him outside of their vague silhouettes, could still feel their presence alongside him as they joined him in the fight. Standing behind them upon the Station of Awakening was the very person they'd all gathered to protect. Though much like he was in the waking world, Sora was completely out of it thanks to the strain the poison was putting him under, his expression dull and lifeless as he remained still and silent, completely incognizant of the swell of shadows threatening to consume him. Even so, Roxas and his pair of companions were still able to stand strong against those shadows where Sora couldn't, which was exactly what all three of them were determined to do. To return the kindness he'd offered each of them by harboring their hearts inside his own.

"I-I've never seen so much darkness before…" the girl muttered anxiously, her voice always ringing familiar with Roxas in a way he could never quite place. Even so, she was right, as a seemingly endless barrage of shadows swarmed the edges of the Station of Awakening, starting to slowly inch closer to them with each passing second. "What do we do?"

"We'll figure something out," the other boy said, his voice catching Roxas off guard as he remembered just how much it sounded like his own. "We have to. For Sora."

"And for us," Roxas added, knowing that if Sora was dragged into the darkness, then they'd be pulled into that horrific mire right along with him. Into a prison that none of them would be able to escape.

Even so, Roxas was the first of the three to notice the darkness starting to make its first move. It did so from behind them, a sliver of shadows breaking off from the rest of the horde to try and make its way toward Sora, unseen. Roxas put a swift stop to its attempt however as both Oathkeeper and Oblivion flashed into his hands, both of them crashing into the rising shadow hard before it could even come close to touching Sora. The other two were soon met with similar attacks on their ends, and likewise they both used their own respective Keyblades to ward them off as best they could. Even so, the darkness was quick to surge into a full-on barrage, bombarding all three of them with vicious attacks as they all surrounded Sora to defend him against them evenly. For the most part, their line of defense seemed to be working as they blocked just about every strike that came their way. At least until the darkness decided to enact a new tactic altogether.

For suddenly, the shadows stopped, gathering themselves back into a monstrous mass, one that began to aim itself directly at Sora from high above. Still, the trio met that mass evenly, standing firm against it even as grinded aggressively against each of their Keyblades. The standoff soon broke however as the darkness quite literally shoved all three of them aside brutally, intent on getting to its true target above all else. Each of them landed a good distance away from Sora, largely unable to do anything but watch as the shadows geared up to pour down upon him in full force. That is, until one of them rushed in to save him.

"No!" the other boy shouted desperately, disregarding even his Keyblade as he ran toward Sora as fast as he possibly could.

"Wait!" Roxas called to him, knowing the brazen effort wouldn't do any of them any good. And sure enough, it didn't as the brunt of the darkness only managed to slam straight into the other boy instead. He fell back hard onto Sora, knocking him over before bouncing back away from him, landing hard and clearly harmed from taking on the full force of the attack. The girl gasped in alarm, rushing over to check on him just as the shadows began to rescind once again, though what exactly they had planned next was anyone's guess.

For as breathless as he was by the frantic scene, Roxas turned his sights back to Sora, who was now lying still and limp just a few feet away from him. Unsure of what the darkness might do, Roxas still hurried over to him, pulling him up by the shoulders as he lightly shook him in an anxious attempt at rousing him. "Sora! Listen to me!" he urged, trying to find any sign of alertness in his other's empty expression. "You need to wake up! We're doing our best to help you, b-but I don't think we can do it on our own. We need _your _help. Which is why you _have _to wake up, Sora. _Please_…"

Somehow, this earnest plea seemed to reach Sora as he lifted his head ever so slightly, his eyes still muted and unfocused as he still barely managed to look up. "R-Roxas…" he muttered tiredly, so quietly that he was barely even audible at all.

"Y-yes, it's me," Roxas nodded, unable to hold back a ghost of a relieved smile. "Now come on, I need you to-" He starkly stopped, his hands flying away from his other as he let out a sharp, startled gasp. Because suddenly, in the mere blink of an eye, Sora ceased to look like _Sora _completely… as he looked exactly like _Roxas _instead.

For his part, the real Roxas quickly stumbled to stand, his eyes wide as he stared down at "Sora", who barely managed to keep himself upright on all fours. Even so, he whispered another name, one that Roxas wasn't able to catch as his appearance shifted once more, still looking very much like his own, only his attire had changed from the Organization's black coat to another outfit entirely. The coat quickly returned however as "Sora" said a third name he still wasn't able to clearly hear, but all of the sudden there _she _was sitting in his place, the very sight of her pulling almost painfully at Roxas' heart. But all too quickly she was gone and Sora was properly back, though he was still largely lost inside his own head, or rather, his own heart, a troubling sign indeed, especially as the darkness violently roared behind them.

Roxas turned to face it as fearlessly as he could, though his nerve was quickly lost the moment he saw the form it had taken on. Because now the shadows hovered over them in a vaguely humanoid shape, the shape of the very man who had tried taking over Sora's heart before and was clearly here to make the same attempt again. The mass of darkness he was composed of was largely featureless, but its large eyes burned a bright, sinister yellow as its hands poised themselves over the Station of Awakening as sharp, threatening claws.

The sight was horrifying to say the least, but even so, Roxas stood his ground, his companions currently unable to do the same as he resolved himself to fight for them just as much as he was for Sora. And yet, this time around, the darkness seemed to have no interest in rushing right for him as it instead remained in place, only holding its clawed hand forward as it made something of an odd, beckoning gesture.

"W-what…?" Roxas wondered to himself, quite confused until he noticed Sora suddenly walk right past him. His pace was slow and stilted as he silently moved forward, his gaze captivated by the horde of shadows urging him to come to it. To let it take him far away from all of the pain and suffering and grief and let him rest in the sort of peace that only the comfort of darkness could provide. Roxas could practically hear every lie it was promising him, which was why he hurried forward to stop him before he could fall into the trap it was so clearly luring him into.

"Sora! W-wait!" he cried, grabbing his shoulder tightly as he tried to pull him back away from the darkness. Amazingly, Sora _did _stop, though only long enough to spare Roxas the briefest of glances over his shoulder. And when he did, he was completely caught off guard yet again to find that his other's eyes were nowhere close to the deep, yet warm blue they should have been; instead, they were bitter, cold, and unquestionably _yellow_.

Though Sora roughly pulled his shoulder out of his grip after this, Roxas still made an attempt at reaching him once more all the same. Yet before he even could, he was suddenly forced to stop completely as something suddenly latched tightly onto his legs and began to pull him down. That something was, of course, the darkness, which had finally started to pool onto the Station of Awakening itself. Likewise, it was already swallowing the other two up just as it was doing to him; and yet, as Roxas looked up to see Sora still walking away, walking toward the source of these shadows themselves, he _refused _to give up that easily.

"N-no!" he yelled, desperately trying to pull himself out of the shadows before he could fall too deeply into them. Even so, he was still sinking more and more with each passing second, just as Sora was inching ever closer to the darkness all the while. "Sora, stop!"

"**Sora, come..." **the darkness itself countered smoothly, its voice unintelligible yet audible all the same. **"Your heart is on the verge of being torn apart by the untold suffering it's been forced to endure… But that suffering can come to an easy end. The power to put a stop to it all rests with you…"**

Roxas panicked as he watched Sora continue toward the shadows as they whispered these false promises to him, luring him in even more with each deceptive word it spoke to him. Through the connection between their hearts, he could feel just how much pain, both physically and mentally, his other was feeling, and just how much he longed, _yearned _to escape from that pain, to finally be _free_. Which was exactly why the release the darkness was offering him sounded so very tempting, to the point that Roxas wasn't so sure he'd be able to resist that offer himself if he were in Sora's place.

Still, that didn't mean he wasn't going to let him fall victim to that offer so easily. "Sora, don't listen to it!" Roxas warned, ignoring the fact that he was waist-deep in darkness himself now. "It's lying to you!"

Yet even despite Roxas' persistent attempts at getting through to Sora, the voice of the darkness coaxing him toward it seemed to reach him before that of his distraught Nobody's. **"You possess the power, not just to ease your suffering, but to return that suffering to those who brought it to you in full. Your heart has all the strength it needs to ensure that no one will ever cause you any sort of pain ever again…"**

Vengeance. The darkness was offering him _vengeance_, a thought that Roxas himself was quite familiar with, but one that he knew Sora would _never _have, at least not on his own. And yet he seemed to crave that vengeance now, desired it and the power to enact it almost as much as he longed for freedom. And as he finally stopped at the very edge of the Station of Awakening, he was more than ready to claim that vengeance, just as much as the darkness was ready to claim him in turn.

"**All you need to do is let the darkness in… and it will take care of the rest…"**

"Sora!" Roxas pleaded, reaching a shaking hand out toward his other, even as the shadows began to swallow both of them up. "_Please_! Y-you can't just… you…" He trailed off as the shadows sapped his energy, finally pulling him down past the surface into the dark unknown below. The last thing he saw before they did, however, was the darkness slowly starting to drape over Sora, intent on turning him into nothing more than a literal shadow of his true self. And despite their best efforts, there was _nothing _any of the hearts within his own could do to stop it. "S-Sora…" Roxas whispered mournfully before everything fell into the depths of empty rage and despair. "I… I'm sorry…"

* * *

And so, in almost no time at all, darkness engulfed Sora completely from the inside out. Maleficent watched as it happened with sadistic glee, Pete much more fearfully so as he cowered back on the fringes of the cell, especially as their captive took on a much more monstrous form. Even despite the poison, he lurched back violently against the vines, letting out a piercing, anguished cry as his eyes flew open wide, completely empty as their bright golden glow seemed to illuminate the entire chamber. But all the while, the shadows continued sweeping over him until they ultimately snuffed out any trace of light that remained. And the moment did, the rest of his horrific transformation quickly followed.

His fingers sharpened into long, knifelike claws, far more deadly than they'd ever been before, their very tips tinged with a blood-like shade of crimson that clashed against the veil of shadows hanging heavily over the rest of his body. Through the immense strength this dangerous shift allotted him with, those clawed hands easily snapped out the shackles restraining them, his power now far surpassing the magic that had been used to create them in the first place. And as always, his eyes were nothing more than hollow orbs of ominous yellow light, his mouth splitting open into a sharp-fanged maw flooded with the exact same glowing shade as his pained screams turned into a fearsome, inhuman roar.

With his hands now free from their bondage, he wasted no time in tearing through the vines holding the rest of his darkened body back, his claws easily slicing through them until he landed clumsily to the ground on all fours. He quickly perked his head up, however, letting out a harsh, feral growl the moment he realized he wasn't alone. He hunkered down low as his bright eyes offered Maleficent in particular a furious glare, readying himself for a vicious attack as a Keyblade that was every bit as shadowy as he was flashed into his clawed grip. And yet, that attack never came.

For instead, Maleficent met it merely by aiming the tip of her staff directly at him. The scepter was illuminated in a bright green glow, a strange sort of magic that caught Sora's attention instantly, stilling any attempts he might have otherwise made at lashing out. He tilted his head at it, curious to the point of being captivated by it. And as that green glow intensified, soon enough, it managed to entrance him entirely as it overtook the gold of his soulless eyes with the exact same emerald shade.

"Yes…" Maleficent grinned wickedly, her own eyes alight with malicious intent as her twisted plan finally started to reach its completion. "That's right… Your allegiance, your obedience, whatever remains in that empty head and heart of yours… swear it _all_ over to me!"

Her magic burst brightly at this, and as its glow slowly faded back into darkness, Maleficent was met with exactly the results she had been aiming for all along. Because there was Sora, by far her most irksome enemy, now reduced to nothing more than a mere shadow of himself, bowing low in nothing less than complete loyalty to her and her alone.

"Finally…" she said, letting out a small, devious chuckle as she guided his empty, green-eyed gaze up toward her. And all the while, he silently awaited her command, unable to do or think of anything else, his true heart and mind all but buried deep by the fathomless darkness that had consumed him. "At long last, my dear Heartless, you and your incredible power… belong to _me_…"

* * *

By the time the group made it to the base of the abandoned castle, night had fallen, casting the entire perimeter of the building in ominous shadow. That shadow was broken, however, courtesy of Axel using his fiery Keyblade as something of a torch to light the way for the others as they looked around for any sort of way they could slip in. Fortunately, the castle grounds seemed to be bereft of any sort of Heartless on patrol, though the stark silence settled over the area was hardly reassuring.

That silence was soon and sharply broken, however, as Kairi let out a sudden gasp, her eyes wide as her hands flew over her heart. Startled, the others all quickly turned to her, concerned on multiple levels when they all remembered where all of her strange bouts of unexpected shock had been coming from throughout the entire journey.

"Kairi?" Axel ventured first, reaching a tentative hand out toward her though she ignored his attempt at easing her as she shook her head, distraught.

"S-Sora…" she whispered, unable to stop the tears that were already starting to well up in her eyes as a sudden crushing sense of _absence _began to overwhelm her.

"What's wrong?!" Donald asked urgently.

"D-did something happen to him?" Goofy questioned, deeply concerned.

"I… I don't know…" Kairi answered truthfully, her shaken sights set on the dry ground at her feet. "His heart… I-I… I can't feel it anymore... "

"What?!" Donald and Goofy both exclaimed, rife with worry for their lost companion's unknown fate.

"What do you mean?" Yuffie asked with a confused, fretful frown. "You don't think…?"

"N-no," Kairi quickly said, even if she didn't really know that. Still, it was the most she could do to convince herself that it wasn't true, that he _wasn't _gone. Because the mere maddening thought alone was more than she could possibly take. "No, he's not… h-he _can't _be… I-I just… we need to-"

"We need to get in there before that's what ends up happening to him," Leon concluded, resolved as he kept the group as steady as he could, despite their frayed nerves all around. Understandably frayed nerves at that, given the grim circumstances they were facing.

"Well, I think I'm way ahead of the rest of you on that," Axel spoke up. He nodded toward a small opening, a sizable crack in one of the castle's crumbling stone base walls up ahead, one that was just large enough for all of them to fit through. The others all nodded in agreement over this entryway and took it, squeezing their way in one at a time to the castle's darkened basement floor. As pitch black as their enclosed surroundings were, the group had to rely on Axel's Keyblade to light the way for them yet again, as well as a small, yet bright flame spell from Donald, both of which gave them just enough to see the empty room around them.

"Sora!" Donald's sudden call echoed through the basement hall just as loudly as Goofy's did right after it.

"You in here?!"

"Shh!" Yuffie snapped at the pair. "What, you wanna tell _everybody _we're here?! You guys gotta learn to be more subtle than that!"

"Now that we're in," Leon said as he began to lead the way to a nearby set of stairs. "We just need to find Sora and get out. Nothing more, nothing less. And Yuffie's right; the _last _thing we want to do is tip off that we're here to Maleficent."

"Hmph, I'm pretty sure we could take the old crone if we had to," Axel remarked confidently as he lightly elbowed his fellow pupil in an attempt at cheering her up. "Right, Kairi?"

"Oh, I will," Kairi surprisingly agreed, her tone cold and tinged with anger as she set her sights straight ahead of her. "_Especially _if she's hurt him…"

Axel sent her something of a worried glance at this, though he couldn't say he didn't understand her righteous drive to set things right. Especially when it reminded him so much of his own similar drive when it came to a long-lost friend of his own.

Even so, the group continued on their way, emerging from the stairs onto the castle's still dully-lit main floor. Much like the outside of the structure, its interior was noticeably silent, to the point that their footsteps loudly echoed as they made their way down the lofty stone halls. Every one of them was on high alert for any sort of Heartless making an appearance, something that strangely hadn't happened yet, much to their shared confusion. The worrisome thought soon began to rise among them that perhaps they might have journeyed all this way just to end up in the wrong place entirely. A thought that was quickly, and fortunately proven wrong in the last way any of them could have expected.

For as they traversed the castle's winding halls, they weren't the only ones currently doing so. Pete also wandered down the corridors at an anxious, frenetic pace, more than happy to get some distance away from Maleficent, especially now that her new "pet" was secured. "Aw, what am I suppose'ta do now?" he wondered to himself. "It's not like I can just let the poor kid out all over again, 'specially not like he is _now. _Not to mention that Maleficent would have my head if I even _tried _to-"

The henchman was abruptly cut off as he rounded the corner, only to run right into a group he hadn't been expecting to see in the slightest. Donald and Goofy were the ones to actually bump into him, both of them falling back as Pete remained standing, as baffled as all of the others were as they all tried to gather their bearings from the sudden encounter.

"Pete!" Donald and Goofy shouted first, both of them quickly picking themselves up off the ground as they summoned their weapons. Likewise, Leon and Yuffie also took their own weapons out as Kairi and Axel summoned their Keyblades, each of them taking up an offensive pose, one that Pete countered with surprise more than anything else.

"Whazzit-_you_!?" he exclaimed brashly, glaring the group down. "What in the hey are you punks doin' here?!"

"You know _exactly _why we're here!" Donald snapped angrily.

"Where are you and Maleficent keeping Sora?!" Goofy demanded just as firmly.

"Wait… you're here for…" Pete trailed off, catching the entire group off guard as he let out what almost sounded like an incredulous, relieved laugh. "Oh this is perfect! Here I was, makin' my brain ache tryin' to think of a way to help that dumb kid, but now I don't even have to lift a finger. You all can just do it for me!"

"Help him?" Donald asked, narrowing his eyes at the henchman suspiciously. "What are you talking about?"

"Wha-uh, n-nothin'!" Pete crossed his arms with a feigned scowl. "You must be hearing things, 'cause didn't say _nothin' _about helping _anyone_! And if you think I am, then you got-"

"Enough," Leon cut in as he brandished his Gunblade assertively. "Tell us where Sora is. _Now_."

"Y-yes, sir!" Pete fearfully gulped, flinching as he stood on the wrong end of such a threatening weapon. "Last I saw him, Maleficent had him holed up in the tower, b-but that's all I know. I swear it!"

"That's good enough of a lead for us," Leon said, slinging his blade back over his shoulder as he continued leading the others forward.

"Thank you," Kairi muttered as she walked past Pete, genuinely glad for the tip, especially if it could in fact lead them to Sora.

"We gotta hurry," Yuffie said, running ahead of Leon as she encouraged the others to do the same. "C'mon!"

"Hey!" Pete snapped after the group, briefly stopping them as they began to part ways. "When ya see the kid, tell him…" The henchman trailed off, glancing down almost guiltily before he shook his head, disregarding the thought. "Aw, forget it! Just remember that if ya _do _find him, y-you might not like what ya see."

"Uh… what's _that _supposed to mean?" Axel asked, aptly confused as Pete ran off without offering any further explanation.

"Who cares?!" Donald exclaimed hotly, charging right on ahead. "We've gotta get to Sora!"

"And fast!" Goofy readily agreed, just a step behind him.

The others wasted no time in continuing on their way either, searching for, and fortunately quickly finding another staircase, one that seemed to lead directly to the tower Pete had pointed them toward. Strangely, they still weren't met with any sort of opposition on their way up, contributing to the uneasy feeling that they very well could be walking into a trap. Even so, it was a trap they were all steeling themselves to face, even as they finally emerged into the tower's large, darkened central chamber, one that seemed to be completely empty upon a first glance. Though they found that sure enough they had come to the right place when the low candlelight illuminating the room was all abruptly snuffed out completely, casting them all into complete and utter darkness.

"My, my… It appears as though I have a few _unwanted _guests…"

"Maleficent!" Donald and Goofy exclaimed in startled unison the moment they heard her voice ringing through the room. With said room being as dark as it was, no one was able to clearly see her, if she was even really there at all. But of course, they all still clung onto their weapons tightly, ready for any tricks she might have in store for them.

Kairi in particular took a bold step forward in the darkness, her heart desperately searching for any traces of Sora and still finding none, all because of whatever this wicked woman might have done to him. Unfair torture, unncessary pain, all things that Sora didn't deserve in the slightest, but all things that she'd clearly inflicted upon him all the same. And the mere thought of such a sickening injustice alone was enough to practically make Kairi's blood boil, filling her with a rare sense of fury that she couldn't help but boldly act upon.

"I'm only going to ask this once," she began, her voice rigid as her grip on her Keyblade tightened. "Where is Sora?!"

Despite her solid tone, it was merely met with a bout of cold, mocking laughter on Maleficent's end. "Oh, isn't this _priceless_," she remarked from her unknown spot, still chuckling in haughty amusement. "One of the Princesses of Heart, come to rescue her precious 'hero'... How the tables have turned from just a few short years ago, hm, my dear? But I'm sorry to say that you're simply too late, all of you. For you see… Sora is no more."

That mere statement alone rippled through the entire group like a heavy wave, one that carried both shock and despair along with it in equally momentous amounts. And while the others all immediately began denying such an audacious claim, Kairi merely froze up amidst it, her eyes growing wide as time seemed to slow to a complete crawl all around her. She felt numb, her heart echoing louder than ever before with that same immense loneliness she'd felt the moment her heart had suddenly lost track of his. It couldn't be true, _couldn't _be, and yet… try as she might to find so much as a single spark of his crisp, familiar light, she couldn't. Because there was nothing left to be found at all.

And perhaps the worst part of it all: she hadn't even had a chance to say goodbye to him. And now, she never would.

"Now, now," Maleficent quieted the round of distraught protests and threats the others were all fiercely firing off at her. "I do apologize for the… inconvenience. It must be terribly disappointing to have come all this way for nothing. Which is why it's only fair that I send you off with a consolation prize. Perhaps the honor of being the first to fall to the unstoppable power of my new 'pet' will suffice…"

She said nothing more from her unknown spot as a new sound began to echo through the darkened chamber: a low, animalistic growl. The source of which had to have been much too close to comfort based on how surprisingly loud it was.

"Everyone! Get ready!" Leon called as most of the others did as he said, readying their weapons for whatever they were about to face. No sooner than a second later, however, the unknown creature launched its first attack, lunging toward its nearest target, who just so happened to be Leon himself. Fortunately, its clawed swing caught onto the edge of his Gunblade, allowing him to retaliate with a wide swing to force the monster back away from him. In the process, however, the creature ended up landing close to Yuffie, and it didn't hesitate to lash out against her before she could even try to get the jump on her. She let out a harsh yelp as something strangely metallic connected painfully with her lower leg, knocking her to the ground completely. It nearly went in for another attack against her until a lucky shield toss from Goofy knocked it aside just in the nick of time.

"Ugh… what _is _this thing?" Yuffie wondered, nursing her injured leg until Donald offered her an assist in the form of a healing spell. "Some kind of Heartless?"

"I've never seen a Heartless that fights like this... " Leon said, on edge for whatever the mysterious creature might try next.

"Well, why don't we try shedding a little light on the subject?" Axel suggested as he ignited his Keyblade. Despite his bright fire, it still only provided sparse light to the large chamber they were in, and as the creature lurked low in the shadows of it, the only thing any of them were able to make out about it were its eyes, bright and round and green, almost like those of a Heartless, yet not quite the same. And yet… something about those eyes caught Kairi off guard the moment she met them, even from afar, to the point that it shook her out of her heartbroken reviere. It was something she couldn't quite place, yet as she stared directly into those seemingly empty glowing orbs, it was as if there was a tinge of _something _in them.

Something that almost felt oddly _human_.

The creature perked up at the sight of Axel's flaming Keyblade, seemingly intrigued and repulsed by the light it was putting off all at once. It let out a shrill hiss, rearing back before pouncing forward on all fours, its shadowy form still completely indistinguishable, even as it rushed right for Axel in particular. "Perfect…" he grinned daringly, gearing himself up for a brawl as he gripped his Keyblade readily. "Time to put that old crone's little 'pet' in its place."

Kairi sent a brief, nervous glance Axel's way before turning her attention back to the creature, whose form finally started to become a bit more clear the closer it came to the light. Indeed, it did appear to be strangely humanoid, even though its entire body was composed of sheer darkness. But what was most alarming and surprising of all was the weapon that it clutched tightly in its clawed grip: a Keyblade, and not just any mere Keyblade at that.

The Kingdom Key.

"Axel, stop!" Kairi shouted, largely without thinking as she pulled against her fellow student's arm just before he brought his own weapon down. "T-that's Sora!"

"What?!" Axel started, completely caught off guard just as much as the others were by this claim. They were so shocked by it, in fact, that they didn't even notice the creature, or _Sora_ rather, leaping high to land a vicious attack against them. Yet that attack never ended up landing as Kairi swiftly rebuffed it instead.

"Light!" she cried, throwing her hand out to let her bright magic flow out of it. In an instant, the entire room was flooded by its nearly blinding glow, banishing the pall of darkness that had been cast upon it and allowing everyone to clearly see it for the first time. And with it, they were also able to clearly see exactly what horrific fate had befallen Sora.

The force of Kairi's light spell had thrown him back hard, its radiance stunning him to the point that he practically cowered away from it entirely. But sure enough, his entire body had been consumed by the darkest of shadows, not a single speck of light remaining other than in the haunting green glow of his eyes. He remained hunched low, letting out a bitter hiss that revealed his similarly-colored fanged maw as he gripped his darkened Keyblade like a vice while he fiercely glared at the shocked group gathered on the side of the room across from him.

"Whoa…" Axel muttered, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Sora…" Donald frowned, deeply concerned by the upsetting familiarity of seeing him like this again.

"What in the world did Maleficent do to him to turn him into _that_…?" Yuffie wondered softly.

"A-Actually, this has happened to him before…" Goofy anxiously admitted. "But he's never been like… _this..._"

"Wait… this has happened before…?" Kairi asked, unable to tear her sights away from Sora. Or rather, what he'd become. "W-why didn't he… h-he never even _mentioned _this to…" She trailed off, lost in her own myriad of thoughts and fears and frustration over a secret that Sora had managed to keep far too well for far too long, from her and Riku alike. A secret that was now as far out in the open as it ever could have gotten.

"Look out!" Donald sharply warned as he noticed Sora suddenly shift back into attack mode.

He shook off the impact the light spell had on him, almost as if he had been forced to by some unseen force that also commanded him to dash for the group with a furious roar. Donald was the first to make an attempt at subduing him with an ice spell to at the very least stop him in his tracks, but Sora easily broke through it with a swift, wild swing of his Keyblade alone. Goofy managed to narrowly repel another uncalculated strike with his shield, but that didn't stop Sora from trying again as he mindlessly bashed his weapon against the shield over and over again until one of those brutal strikes finally ended up knocking the captain back. As Goofy fell, Leon and Yuffie were both quick to leap into action in his and Donald's place, their respective weapons both meeting Sora's squarely as yet another line of defense. But it was only as Leon was essentially forced to heavily kick Sora back to keep him from landing a clawed swipe on both him and Yuffie that Kairi fearfully spoke up amidst the chaos.

"Careful!" she cautioned urgently. "D-don't hurt him! I don't think he knows what he's doing!"

"Well, it's not like he's being that careful with us!" Axel countered as he joined the fray himself. He offered Leon some much-needed support as Sora harshly knocked Yuffie aside once more, but between the two of them, his surprising newfound strength was quickly proving to be too much to beat. Still, the pair continued exchanging blows with him, trying their best not to cause him any sort of harm, though even the attacks that did accidentally land on him didn't seem to be doing much damage. All the while, Kairi stood on the fringes of the battle, her Keyblade in hand though she didn't dare to use it, especially not against Sora. She certainly wanted to help protect her friends just as much as she wanted to subdue him and get him back to his true self. And yet the mere thought of fighting, of _harming _someone she cared so much about was more than she could really stand to bear.

And yet, she soon found that she'd have no real choice but to do just that as Sora lashed out with his most powerful swing by far, one that knocked Axel's Keyblade clean out of his hands. His next strike did the same to Axel himself, sending him flying back to where Donald, Goofy, and Yuffie were all trying their best to recover and re-enter the battle as soon as possible. Leon held his own for a moment longer, at least until Sora lashed out with his free hand, his sharp claws catching him across the arm in a long, ragged, painful cut. Leon stumbled back, clutching the wound to staunch the blood already starting to pour from it, though in the process, he missed Sora preparing for another attack until it landed, his Keyblade striking him hard in the side. And as Leon was quite literally shoved aside by such a brutal attack, Kairi soon found that there was no one left to stand between her and Sora himself.

Their eyes met in an instant, and in that instant, she found herself captivated by his, as inhuman as they currently seemed. Because she still sensed _something _in them, something in _him_, buried deep beneath the tide of oppressive darkness that had overtaken him. Yet she had no time to figure out exactly what that something was as he drew in low, growling coldly at her as he geared up to attack her just as mindlessly as he had all the others. "S-Sora, wait!" she exclaimed, one hand still tightly clinging onto her Keyblade as she held her other one up in an attempt to stop him. She backed up anxiously and he followed at a similar slow pace, glaring viciously up at her as she stared fearfully down at him. "I… I don't know if you can hear me, o-or even understand me, but… this has to stop."

He only answered her with a feral hiss, one that chilled her to the core as she tried her hardest to imagine how he _should _have been instead. Warm and kind and caring instead of cold and dark and cruel. "W-whatever she's done to make you like this… you're stronger than it, I-I know you are!" she encouraged desperately, even if her appeal showed no signs of working. "S-so please… you _have _to fight this! Not just for us, but for you. You need to remember who you _really _are!"

Despite her earnesty, Sora hardly heeded her as he eagerly attacked instead, propelled by mindless instinct-and perhaps by something else entirely. Kairi panicked the moment he did, raising her Keyblade in an effort to block him as fast as she could, yet his claws still managed to catch her across the shoulder, landing a deep, painful cut in the process. She let out a sharp cry as she found herself collapsing against the stone wall she'd backed into, though she wasted no time in trying to take care of the wound as she noticed Sora slowly, yet aggressively approaching her, intent on landing even more.

"Yes…" Maleficent grinned, watching the entire twisted scene unfold from her safe spot high above in the rafters of the lofty room. She kept a secure hold on her scepter, still glowing with the very same sort of magic she'd used to bind Sora to her will. Magic that, as far as she could tell, was still working exactly as intended as he obediently, thoughtlessly followed every last order she telepathically sent his way. "That's right, my Heartless. Destroy them, all of them! Just as you will any other pitiful fool that tries to get in my way…"

And that's exactly what it seemed like he was going to do as he continued to press in, ready to finish Kairi off first as a relatively easy kill. However, for as terrified as she was by his monstrous manner and as much as her heart was grieving that he'd been brought so low in the first place, she refused to give up on him that easily. Because she knew that somewhere, buried deep underneath the malice and darkness that had taken hold of him, his heart, his _true _heart was still there. She just had to find it for him.

"O-ok…" she whispered unsteadily, still pressed up against the wall as she addressed him calmly. "If you can't find yourself, then I'll help you look…"

In something of a risky move, Kairi let her Keyblade vanish, much to the alarm of the injured group on the far side of the room who were all still trying to pull themselves together again. "K-Kairi! Don't!" Axel warned, desperately attempting to pick himself up off the ground but ultimately failing. Kairi sent him a brief, reassuring look, one that offered the promise that she had a plan, even if it was a plan she wasn't even sure would work herself.

Sora seemed to notice her lack of a weapon as he eyed her suspiciously, still growling viciously as he went on the defensive for any surprise attacks she might send his way. And yet, strangely, Kairi did no such thing as she instead slowly, carefully knelt down to be on eye-level with him, their dangerously close proximity alone making her heart race as she began to reach a trembling hand out toward him. "Sora…" she began, softly, sadly. "I want to help you, b-but I don't know how… That's why… t-that's why I need you to let me in so I can try… please…"

Initially, he hissed hatefully at the hand she had extended out to him, though he seemed to oddly still as he happened to meet her wide-eyed gaze. That gaze was tender, mournful, yet kind, all things he couldn't currently feel on the surface, yet for some reason or another they managed to calm him. Or perhaps it wasn't any of those things; perhaps it was all _her _instead.

His growling soon began to silence itself as he started to lift a clawed hand up toward her slowly. She smiled as he did, yet that smile slipped into fear as he flinched, seeming to slip back into his former violent intent as he nearly struck her with those claws. Right before he could, however, he stopped, letting out an almost pained hiss as his Keyblade disappeared, his now free hand clenched tightly against his chest as he seemed to be fighting some sort of unknown war within, his eyes flashing back and forth between green and gold all the while. And yet, Kairi never once retracted her hand, still offering up her support to him for whenever he decided to take it. And as that internal struggle fiercely continued, that's exactly what Sora ended up doing as his clawed hand landed squarely in hers.

The very moment it did, however, her hand nearly flew out of his from sheer shock alone. Because all at once she could feel a torrent of rage, so immense and unbearable that she thought it was going to tear her apart entirely, surging through every fiber of his darkened being. Wrapped within that layered coat of untamed fury were equal parts grief, pain, and fear, all crushing weights that had clearly become far too much for him to bear given his current state. Yet, even in the midst of all that, she managed to catch the slightest glimpse of him, of how he _really_ was, breaking through the darkness and hatred like a spot of sun beaming through stormy clouds. And though her own heart wavered with pity and dread, she still chased after that small sunspot in the hopes that it would finally lead her back to him.

"Oh, Sora…" Kairi whispered, a few of her pressing tears finally falling as she gripped his hand tighter. "What's happened to you…?"

Surprisingly, Sora answered, though he didn't do so verbally. Instead, his voice rang out within her heart, though it hardly sounded like him at all. This voice had only the sparsest hints of how he truly sounded as it was instead masked with something far darker and deeper as it spoke slowly and disjointedly. _**"Must… obey…"**_

"Obey who-" The question died on her lips the moment she remembered exactly who had likely forced him into such a monsterous state to begin with. "Oh… n-no. No, you _don't _have to obey her. You're not-"

"_**Must obey…" **_He audibly whimpered, his empty, baleful eyes flashing between yellow and green once again as he pressed a clawed hand against his head. _**"H-have to obey…" **_His pained whine soon turned into an all-out cry that echoed loudly through the entire chamber as it tore from his throat. _**"NEED TO OBEY!"**_

"And you _will _obey…" Maleficent hissed from her unseen spot, forcing her sinister magic upon him harder than ever, even as he tried to resist it. "I won't lose everything I've been working for to some _foolish _girl! Obliterate her! _Now_!"

On this severe order, Sora reeled back, finally tearing his hand away from Kairi's it joined his other hand in gripping his head tightly. Yet he still didn't act on Maleficent's cruel command, almost as if he was fighting against it with every shred of autonomy and free will he had left. A sight that gave Kairi just as much hope as it did heartache as she continued to feel every second of his endless struggle.

"Y-you don't need to obey her," she repeated once more, lowering herself back down to his level as she met his glowing eyes evenly. "You don't belong to her. Y-you're your own person! But… I know you _do _need something. You _lost _something. I can feel it. So please… tell me what you need…"

Sora shuddered, clearly agonized as he let out another tiny, tortured hiss. _**"H-heart…" **_he begged internally, reaching a shaking hand out toward Kairi. _**"Lost… heart… Need heart…"**_

"Your heart…" Kairi frowned, shaking her head dubiously at this. "N-no, you… your heart isn't lost. It's still there, buried under all that darkness. I know it is… because it's calling out to _my _heart right now."

Even so, he didn't seem to believe her as he sent her a bitter glare, still extending his claws out to her to the point that they nearly skimmed her chest as he tried to steal what he thought he'd lost from her. _**"No…" **_he growled, his eyes still constantly wavering back and forth between green and gold. _**"Need heart… C-can't… live without… heart…"**_

"Sora..." She remained steady, covering his outstretched hand with her own as a dawning realization fell upon her. "I-it's not your heart that you've lost… It's your _light._" She paused, staring down at the tendrils of shadow blanketing his hand, his arm, his entire form, dimming and diminishing almost everything about the Sora she knew so well. Her heart ached with the desperation and loneliness and despair that flowed through him, all things she never even knew he could feel so profoundly, yet he was all the same. She longed to see him beyond that darkened, distraught veil, to see his warmth, his smile, to hear his true voice, his bright, uplifting laughter. All things that had indeed been lost… but still weren't gone forever. "If a heart was what you really needed, then I would gladly give you mine…" she whispered, finally daring to place a gentle hand against the side of his face. He nearly flinched away from her touch before he ultimately fell into it, his eyes finally settling into a dull shade of yellow before he closed them entirely. "But… I think I _can _give you what you _really _need instead…"

Moving slowly, she placed her free hand against her chest, digging deep inside of her heart to call upon the powerful light, her very own light, resting within it. That light blossomed around her entire body, radiant and beautiful, and yet he recoiled harshly away from it the moment it appeared. His hand slid out of hers as he shied back, hissing fearfully as he covered his face, unwilling to so much as look at the purity of her light as it contrasted starkly against his own hideous shadows.

"_**S-stop…" **_his distorted voice cried weakly to her. _**"Light… hurts…"**_

"I know it does…" she said, tears streaking down her cheeks as she felt his pain vividly. "And I'm sorry… But sometimes… what hurts us the most, i-is exactly what we need to heal…"

A beat of silence passed between them, but eventually, slowly but surely, he dropped his defensive stance, his body growing still as he looked to her pleadingly, a semblance of anguish finally entering his otherwise empty eyes as he seemingly decided to trust her. _"Please…" _his voice sounded like his own this time, eliciting a small gasp out of Kairi as she clung onto his every fleeting word. _"Heal me…"_

"O-of course…" she choked out a small sob at this, but she let her light shine even brighter all the same as she drew in closer to him. "Whenever you need me… I'll _always _be there to heal you… I promise…"

And as she made that promise, her arms finally wrapped around him as she pulled him close to her, her light jarring harshly against his darkness. The piercing scream of untold pain that erupted from him the moment her light began to envelop him was horrible to listen to, but she still didn't let go of him, instead holding onto him even tighter in the hopes that her plan would somehow work.

And sure enough, it _did_, because in time, his screams died out into silence, the shadows starting to peel themselves away from both his heart and his body to the point that she could _feel _the light returning to them, her own light urging it onward out of the darkness. As that darkness ebbed away, so too did the rage that he'd been forced to feel, the oppressive control that he'd been forced to obey, yet the pain of it all still hung heavily on his heart, something Kairi could deeply feel as Sora finally ended up going completely limp in her arms.

Slowly, she pulled him out of her embrace, supporting him as best she could as she guided his head to rest in her lap. She was helpless to keep herself from breaking down into heavy sobs as she took in the sight of him, now finally back to his true self with the pall of shadows now lifted from him. Yet even so, all was not well with him, as his veins visibly glowed with some sort of unknown green energy, paling his usually warmly tanned skin completely amidst the multiple deep cuts that had been torn into both his body and his now largely-ruined clothes. She had no idea what he'd really been through during his surprisingly brief time as a captive, but based on just how damaged he appeared to be both inside and out, she wasn't sure if she really wanted to find out. "S-Sora…" she said softly, running one hand gently through his messy hair as she kept another positioned against the side of his face.

As sedated as he seemed to be, he apparently heard her as his eyes slowly fluttered partway open. Kairi held back a stunned gasp as she noticed they were a far cry from the familiar ocean blue she'd been expecting to see. While some of that blue still remained, it was almost as if they'd been stained by both green and gold, creating a mingled mess of colors that was both striking and unnerving all at once. "K-Kairi…?" he asked, his voice barely even audible as he tried to focus his bleary gaze on her.

"Shh," she smiled down at him, relief and joy finally finding a place in her heart as she tried to ease his. "It's ok… You're safe now. I'm here…"

As disoriented as he seemed to be, Sora managed to crack the tiniest of smiles at this, his eyes slipping closed as he let out a quiet, contented sigh. "You're here…" he happily, tiredly repeated just before unconsciousness overtook him. His head lolled to the side, pressing against her hand as she kept her caring hold on him, allowing him the comfort of rest he so clearly needed.

However, if there was anyone intent on refusing to let him get that rest, it was Maleficent as she suddenly materialized before the pair in an aggressive burst of green flame. "You wretched, pathetic little girl!" she snapped, glaring hatefully down at Kairi, who offered her just as harsh of a look right back as she held Sora protectively. "How _dare _you come here and take away what's rightfully _mine_!"

"Sora isn't yours, and he _never _will be," Kairi countered resiliently as she pulled his listless body closer to her.

"Silence!" Maleficent shouted, furious as she raised her staff. "His power is _mine _to command! And once I take it back, then I can promise you, child, that you'll endure_ far _more suffering at his hands than he went through at mine!"

"Not on our watch, you're not!"

Maleficent only barely had time to move her scepter to block a swift blow from Axel's Keyblade, one that she repelled by surrounding the staff in a surge of powerful energy to knock him back. Alongside Axel, the others had all largely recovered from the earlier fray themselves and likewise, they all rushed forward to attack her. Donald and Goofy in particular were at the forefront of this barrage, intent on unleashing some righteous justice for what she'd put Sora through as they put their all into trying to land a hit on her. At the same time, Leon and Yuffie provided solid backup, ready to fend off whatever surprise attacks Maleficent might throw their way. And yet, surprisingly, as outnumbered as she was, she ended up cutting the battle off quite quickly by teleporting away back up to her former spot in the raised rafters of the room.

"Fools!" she viciously called down to the group below. "The whole lot of you! Go ahead and wallow in your momentary victory for now, but know that this is far from finished. I'll get that boy and the strength his Heartless holds back… And when I do, this world and every other, will belong to ME!"

On that note, Maleficent vanished in yet another momentous burst of flame, her wicked fury disappearing right along with her, at least for the time being. As soon as everyone was sure she was gone, they wasted no time in crowding around Kairi, all of them eager to see if both her and Sora were alright. For her part, Kairi hardly paid any of them any mind, her focus instead entirely devoted to Sora as he continued to rest, almost peacefully, in her arms, safe and sound at long last.

"Sora!" Donald exclaimed, alarmed by just how badly he seemed to be hurt.

"I-is he…?" Goofy trailed off, far too anxious to even finish the question.

"He'll be ok…" Kairi assured, gently pushing a few stray strands of hair away from his eyes. "I think he just needs time to rest…"

"I think he might be needing a _bit _more than that…" Yuffie frowned, noting the unnatural green streaks still marring his skin.

"We should get him back to Merlin's place," Leon said with a tired sigh. "It'll be easier-and safer-for us to figure out what to do for him there."

No one protested this course of action, not even Kairi as she let Axel carefully lift Sora out of her arms so him and Leon could take turns carrying him back to the city. Still, even as they all began to leave the castle, she lingered as close to him as she could, her eyes rarely straying from his sleeping form. Worry and dread filled her thoughts the entire trip back as she dared to wonder about what horrific torture he'd been put through in just the span of a few short hours. Torture that might not have happened at all if they'd been just a bit qucker, if they'd gotten there just a little sooner. But they hadn't, _she _hadn't, and because of that, he'd beaten, abused, _broken _to the point that his heart and mind alike had fallen into the deepest darkness and despair. Darkness she'd only barely managed to pull him out of by sheer luck alone, really.

And yet… she'd pulled him out of it all the same. Brought him back to the light and to himself. And now that she had, she couldn't help but allow herself a small smile as she settled her sights on him once again as they began to approach Radiant Garden. Because even through it all, now he was safe. Now, he was _free_.

Except he wasn't, not really. Because unbeknownst to her, his heart was still trapped in a different prison entirely. In a way that only the elderly master silently watching the group from afar knew about as he kept a careful eye on his thirteenth vessel, just as he had been and just as he'd continue to do until that vessel was finally his. An outcome that, as Xehanort was concerned, was now closer to becoming a reality than it had ever been before.

* * *

**SO YEAH KIND OF A LOT HAPPENED HERE HUH? Either way this entire chapter was an EXPERIENCE for me to write (and that was sort of why it took so long, I wanted it to be _just _right.) So next time around we'll pick up right where this left off and have something of a more cool down chapter to show the aftermath of all this madness before getting back into some more Disney chapters. Either way, I really hope you all are staying safe out there with everything that's been going on with the Covid-19 outbreak (or hopefully, at home, rather, where most of you should be!). Remember to wash your hands and practice safe and healthy habits! 3 And also, don't forget to REVIEW to let me know what you thought of this chapter! Until next time! :) **


	23. Chapter 22: Rise and Fall and Rise Again

_Oh man, here we go with a chapter that's INCREDIBLY emotionally charged thanks to me writing it while suffering from what I like to call Quarantine Insanity :) Either way this is a pretty slow burn chapter that, for reference sake actually takes place over the span of a _month, _so that's something you should keep in mind while reading it. Either way I LOVE how a lot of this turned out, like I said its really emotionally charged stuff that I kinda felt on a visceral level while writing, so I hope you all enjoy it too! Let's get started!_

* * *

_Chapter 22: Rise and Fall and Rise Again_

_Won't be long, won't be long, I'm almost here  
Watch me cry all my tears_

Never in her entire life had Kairi felt more lost in the shuffle than she did now.

Because there she stood, largely on the fringes of everything as everyone else rushed around Merlin's house at a frenetic pace, busying themselves with something she should have been every bit as engaged in. That something was tending to Sora's various injuries, both external and internal. Given her skills and knowledge when it came to healing, Aerith led the efforts on this front, remaining calm and steady as she worked in magic, potions, and elixirs alike. Despite her coolheaded focus, Yuffie and Cid were anything but as the former eagerly vied to assist Aerith in any way she could while the latter angrily fussed about Maleficent for what she'd done to Sora, sentiments that Donald and Goofy shared every bit as adamantly. Leon did his best to quiet the noisy group down to allow Aerith to do her healing in peace, though his attempts did little given how heated and upset they all were. Emotions they couldn't really be too at fault for given just how much they all cared about Sora and hated to see him so heavily hurt as he had so wrongfully been.

Yet for her own part, Kairi hadn't joined the others stewing in their uproarious righteous anger, though she certainly didn't try to quell it either. At the same time, she hadn't made so much as a single move to lend Aerith a helping hand in trying to heal Sora. Because really, as shellshocked as she currently was, the most she could do was stare at him from across the room in shaken silence. He was still just as comatose as he'd been when they brought him back from the abandoned castle, and even despite plenty of rounds of healing magic and potions alike, he showed no signs of waking anytime soon. There weren't really any clear signs that healing was actually working on him either as his veins were still glowing that ominous shade of green, something that confused and unnerved Kairi even still.

And yet, all she could really think of as she kept her sets set on Sora was how he'd been when they had first found him. He'd been monstrous, for lack of a better word. Drenched in shadows and held in Maleficent's thrall, he'd been dangerous, aggressive, violent even. But not only that, he'd been hurting, his heart aching with pain so raw and visceral Kairi swore she could still feel echoes of it whispering from it even now as he slept. She had hoped that when she used her power to pull him out of the darkness that she had somehow managed to free him from that pain, but even if she had, that wouldn't change the fact that he had felt it so profoundly in the first place. And the more she let her thoughts linger on what he might have gone through, what he might have been forced to suffer to be submerged in such immense physical and mental anguish, the more she found it was quickly becoming far too much for her to bear.

Kairi let out a small, harsh breath as she finally tore her gaze away from Sora's listless form, instead reaching for the nearby door that led out of the house entirely. She didn't bother breathing a word to anyone else on their way out, not that most of them even noticed her slip out as preoccupied with Sora as they were. All the same, as she stepped outside into the fresher, more open morning air, Kairi finally allowed herself the heavy sigh she hadn't even realized she'd been holding in. She leaned against the side of the house, a hand pressed lightly against her heart as she tried to make sense of everything that had just happened over the course of the past 24 hours alone. Had it really only been a day ago that everything had been business as usual? It felt like the very start of their mission to rescue Sora had started years ago, and that every minute that continued to pass by now felt like an entirely new year in and of itself. Minutes and years that were passing far too slowly, and far too quickly, all at the same.

As lost in her seemingly ceaseless thoughts as she was, Kairi didn't even notice Axel approaching as he returned from the supplies run Aerith had sent him on earlier. Though he certainly noticed her as he came to stand beside her, placing the box of potions, salves, and bandages he had stocked up on at the market aside to take stock in his fellow student's wellbeing for the moment instead. "Hey, what are you doing out here?" he asked her. "I thought you'd be inside helping everyone else out with… well, ya know."

"Y-yeah…" she let out a diffident sigh as she hugged herself losely. "I… yeah…"

Axel frowned as he posed a question he largely already knew the answer to. "...You ok?"

Kairi's hesitation immediately ebbed away at this question, her grip on her arms tightening as she set her gaze on the stony ground beneath her. "To be perfectly honest? No, I'm _not_," she said with a genuine scowl. "One of my best friends was captured and trapped and… and _tortured-_" The word felt piercingly bitter the moment it left her mouth, but there was no denying that was exactly what had happened, as painful as it was to even think about. "All because some crazy woman wanted to turn him into a mindless monster, which she _did _and then she just… got away with it. The only one who suffered in any of this is Sora, and it's just… not _fair_! He's done _nothing _to deserve to go through that much pain and fear and _anger _and I just _hate _that any of this happened and I _hate _her for doing this to him in the first place!"

"Whoa, hey now," Axel interjected, caught off guard by just how blatantly _furious _she seemed to be. "Hate's a pretty strong word."

"It's a pretty strong feeling too…" Kairi muttered, her already harsh glare deepening. "And it gets even worse because she's still out there, she could _still _find him and hurt him and take control of him and what then? I brought him back once, but w-what if I can't do that again? What if… what if I can't save him when he needs it most?"

"Oh, c'mon, Kairi, don't talk like that," Axel shook his head earnestly. "After what you did back at the castle-"

"I didn't know what I was doing back there, Axel!" Kairi snapped, her hands in tight fists at her sides as she finally turned to fully face him. "I was desperate! I just… did whatever I could, but I had no idea if it would even work!"

"But it _did _work."

"Only because I was lucky!" Kairi retorted fiercely. "I was lucky, which means Sora was lucky. But if this were to happen again, if _she _does this to him again, then we might not be so lucky the next time."

Axel was quiet for a long time upon hearing all this, offering Kairi an even, empathetic gaze all the while. When he finally did say something, his tone was much more solemn than it usually tended to be, a stark, calm contrast to the heated storm his fellow student had just exploded into. "Look… believe it or not, I get how you're feeling. You wanna protect someone who really matters to you, make anybody who's ever hurt them pay for even trying. And until you do, you keep on feeling like no matter how much you do or how hard you try, it's... never enough."

Kairi faltered at this, allowing her former anger to begin to dissipate as she realized just how accurate Axel's description of her own current feelings really was. A description that could have only come from experience. "Axel…" she began, wanting to pose a question she didn't really know how to phrase.

"Of course, none of us want to see Maleficent get off that easily," he changed the subject, picking up his box of supplies once more. "But blindly running off to try to take her down a peg isn't gonna do any of us any good, especially not Sora. After everything that's happened to him, I have a feeling he's gonna need you now more than ever."

"...You think so?" Kairi asked, her spirits lifting somewhat. After all, even if she could do nothing else to help him, she knew that she'd always be willing to stay by Sora's side, no matter what.

"Think so? I'm positive," Axel offered her a confident grin as he began to lead the way back inside so they could assist the others, or more specifically Sora, in any way possible. "Heck, with you around, I'm sure Sora will be feeling better in no time at all."

* * *

"_A fitting leash for my soon-to-be new pet."_

"_After all, I've never seen a Heartless that's capable of taking on the guise of a _human_…"_

"_When I'm through with you, I can guarantee there will be nothing left of you that _isn't _a Heartless… A Heartless that's completely, endlessly loyal to _me_."_

"_Don't fret, child. Your suffering will be over soon. And once it is, just think of the incredible strength you'll possess in its place. Strength that will be put to perfect use… in service to me."_

"_Your allegiance, your obedience, whatever remains in that empty head and heart of yours… swear it _all _over to me!"_

A sharp, involuntary gasp escaped Sora as he opened his eyes, the endless stream of hateful, haunting threats and taunts his cruel captor had thrown his way essentially forcing him out of whatever fitful rest he had been having. His memories and thoughts alike were both scrambled to the point of being incomprehensible, but there were three things he was able to notice above all else. First, he was lying on a much softer, more comfortable surface than the frigid stone floor he had unfortunately grown accustomed to. Second, the shackles and chains he'd also gotten used to no longer seemed to be weighing heavy on his wrists and the magical vines that had once coiled around the rest of his body were all but gone, though any semblance of relief he might have felt from that fact was quickly extinguished the moment the last immediately noticeable feature of his surroundings registered. Because finally, the room he was now in was completely dark, somehow even darker than the dimly-lit cell he had been locked in before. For several silent, breathless moments, the most Sora could do was stare up at the shadowy ceiling above him, feeling more and more engulfed by that deceptively peaceful darkness, just as he only barely remembered being during his last distant bout of consciousness before now. And right now, the mere thought of losing that precious consciousness once more, of being swallowed up by those practically inescapable shadows all over again was far too much for his exhausted mind and weary heart to bear.

So naturally, he did the only thing he really could at a moment like this: he panicked.

Even despite his apparent lack of any restraints, Sora knew that certainly Maleficent must still be somewhere nearby, keeping a close eye on him. After all, the chances of her opening what would ultimately be another false-hope escape window for him were quite low, but even if that were the case, he absolutely didn't want to quietly wait around to find out. Amidst his growing dread, his breathing was already harsh and heavy to begin with, though it hitched in shock as he moved his arm only slightly upward. Hot, searing pain shot through not just the limb itself, but through the rest of his body as well, to the point that he nearly failed to bite back a reactionary cry of anguish as a result. When he tried to move his other arm, albeit much slower and more carefully, that pain resounded in full force, only intensifying as he tried his hardest to force his way through it to properly sit up. Despite the fact that his arms were trembling violently from the strain, he tried using them to support his weight so he could actually get up, hoping that that unknown yet awful pain wouldn't last much longer. Or at the very least, he'd get used to it enough to largely ignore until he could find a way to rid himself of it entirely.

Yet, despite his best hopes, by the time he was halfway to sitting up, his left hand suddenly slipped over the side of the bed he was on. Unable to react quickly enough to stop himself, he fell over the edge entirely, crashing hard onto the floor and accidentally letting out a heavy agonised scream as blinding pain surged through every single inch of his body in white hot waves of anguish, each somehow worse than the last.

However, that persistent pain was all but forgotten as his cries died out and were instead filled in by the sound of approaching footsteps and voices coming from somewhere right outside of the room. Sora couldn't make out who they belonged to or what they were saying, but when his immediate suspicion went to Maleficent, his level of panic spiked just as much as the pain still sharply flooding through his veins still was.

As the clamor outside grew ever closer to the room's only door on the far side of it, Sora quickly realized escape wouldn't be much of an option, especially as incapacitated as he currently was. Fighting back wasn't really much of a valid plan either, but he found he still did have one advantage on his side. With the chains and shackles gone, there was essentially nothing keeping him from summoning his Keyblade anymore, and though he doubted he could effectively use it right now, he still made an attempt at calling upon it all the same. His hand was still shaking as he struggled to so much as hold it out to summon the weapon, and though it did briefly flash into his grip, it vanished into thin air immediately after. Still, he kept on trying, desperate to gain some way of finally, _finally _defending himself after having all of his defenses essentially stripped from him completely.

His heart pounded with swelling fear as the door slowly began to creak open, and all the while his Keyblade still refused to remain tangible for more than a few fleeting seconds at a time. Even so he froze up as it opened completely, light flooding into the room from the hall outside of it and revealing the obscured silhouettes of several figures standing within the doorway.

As startled and downright terrified as he was, Sora didn't even bother taking a closer look at who these new arrivals might be as they began to rush into the room toward him. Instead, he harshly flinched away from them, the internal din of his own immense terror blocking out whatever they were saying to him to the point that all he heard were unintelligible rumblings. A few of their voices did ring familiar, but he hardly cared as he closed his eyes tightly and shielded himself as much as he could, dreading the all-new onslaught of pain and punishment that was sure to come his way.

"S-stop!" he choked as loudly as he could, though even his voice came out as more of a hoarse, wavering whisper more than anything else. "Just… just leave me alone, _please_…"

The cacophony of various muted voices grew quiet at this, though one of them persisted, and for a moment he thought he heard it-heard _her_-say his name. Then again, considering how desperate his frantic mind was for _any _form of relief right now, he found it far more likely that he was merely imagining, simply wishing for her comforting presence instead of actually receiving it instead.

But then… a hand skimmed against his, both of which were currently protectively covering his head as he pressed his face against the floor to avoid having to even look at his assailants. Yet the hand that was now touching his was so gentle, so warm and soft and _familiar _that he almost dared to allow himself to hope that it was actually her somehow. _Almost_.

"P-please…" he muttered, _pleaded _desperately for mercy he knew he wouldn't be given. "No more… I… I _can't… _I-I just… I-"

"Sora…" This time, he heard her, her voice, soft and sweet and _real_, breaking through his icy fear like the vibrant sunshine that she always radiated so brightly with. He stilled, unsure of what else to do, as he finally allowed her to break his feeble wall of defense, her careful hands steadily guiding his gaze up to meet hers. Even in the low light of the room, he could see her, her features filled with immeasurable worry and sympathy, all meant for him as she began thumbing away his stray tears that he hadn't even realized were falling.

"K-Kairi…" his voice was still barely audible as he yearned to reach out to her in the same way she had for him, only for the pain still weighing his body down to hold him back.

"Shh…" she calmed him, gently repositioning his rather prone body so that he could rest a bit more comfortably. "It's alright… no one's going to hurt you anymore… You're safe now, remember?"

"Safe…" he repeated distantly, the thought sounding almost too good to be true after everything he'd been through. Still, he wanted to hold onto the chance that it _was _true, that he was free and she was here and he was indeed safe and that it all wasn't just a wistful dream that had no chance of becoming real. "C-can you stay with me…? Please?"

"Yes," she answered without a moment's hesitation. "Yes, of course, I can. I'm not going anywhere; I'll stay right here, with you. I promise."

A wave of contentment washed over him as he allowed that and his returning exhaustion to overtake the pain that was starting to die down at least somewhat. "T-thank you…" he whispered just as his eyes slowly slid shut and his former dread finally ebbed away altogether. Because now, he had no problems falling back into the darkness of slumber as long as her comforting light would be by his side when he awakened.

* * *

"Are you sure you're ok with this?" Axel asked, offering Kairi a concerned frown she didn't meet. Instead, she kept her sights set solely on Sora as Leon and Cid carefully lifted his unconscious form back onto the bed after his unexpected frantic episode. An episode that had, by all accounts, left everyone quite shaken as they realized just how much of a brutal mental impact Sora's relatively brief time in captivity must have left on him.

"You know you don't have to do this on your own, Kairi," Aerith agreed with Axel, placing a steadying hand on the younger girl's shoulder. "We all agreed to help take care of Sora together, remember?"

"Which means we oughta all pitch in and take turns keepin' an eye on him," Goofy suggested thoughtfully.

Yet even so, Kairi shook her head, set in her resolve. "No. I promised I'd stay with him, and I meant it. And if that's enough to make him feel safe again after everything he's been through… then that'll make more than worth it for me."

The others were all quiet for a moment or two upon hearing this, each of them looking to her with the same level of apt worry. Clearly, they must have noticed how exhausted she must have come across herself, both physically and mentally after both the action of yesterday and the stress of today. But even with that exhaustion, she refused to back down from her promise, especially not after what they'd all just seen. "You said so yourself, Axel," she continued, pointedly looking at her fellow student. "Sora's going to need me now more than ever, right?"

"...Hm. Guess I _did _say that, didn't I?" Axel sighed, scratching the back of his neck. "Fine, but only if you make sure to take care of yourself too."

"Which means, if you ever need a break or a breather, you know who to ask," Yuffie nodded with a spirited grin.

"That's right," Donald readily, earnestly agreed. "We want to do anything we can to help Sora feel better, no matter how long it might take!"

"I'm sure he'll appreciate that," Kairi smiled warmly, standing by as the others began to file out to head back to bed given how exceptionally late it was. "If anything changes, I'll be sure to let you all know. Good night."

Everyone returned her nighttime tidings as they left, until soon, only Kairi and Sora remained. The room was once again dark and quiet, though Kairi was quick to diminish the former as she lit a candle to bring some sense of light for her to see by. She knew she wouldn't be getting much sleep for the rest of the night, not that she really wanted to in favor of keeping a dutiful watch over Sora, just in case he unexpectedly awakened again.

So instead, she opted to pull a chair up to his bedside, taking up what she had been working on before she'd gone to bed earlier. Namely, that was mending Sora's clothes, which had gotten terribly torn and tattered thanks to his time with Maleficent. Admittedly, she wasn't quite able to weave the same protective magic into them that the three good fairies had when first making the apparel, but she hoped that sewing the holes up to the best of her ability would be enough to suffice. It was ironic, in a way, that she had been quite curious for quite some time now as to what Sora's new outfit looked like; but now that she had finally gotten a chance to see it, it was in just about the last way she could have wanted to.

Still, Kairi tried her best to shake such grim thoughts from her mind as she instead focused her attention back on patching up a rather gaping tear in his jacket. Every now and then, her gaze did drift back to Sora himself, now resting soundly as opposed to the anxious panic he'd been in not so long ago. Perhaps it had been a mistake, she thought, to leave him lying alone in one of Merlin's empty guest rooms since Aerith had finished all she could do when it came to healing him earlier that day. True, they had been checking in on him regularly throughout the evening, but they'd slipped on that routine by the time everyone had turned in for the night. Still, she could only imagine just how cripplingly terrified Sora must have been to awaken in a strange place with no context at all, especially after how he'd been so viciously trapped and restrained only mere hours ago. With how much fear and agony she had sensed in his heart before, she really wasn't surprised by his frantic outburst, made even worse by the effect the poison Maleficent had so cruelly inflicted upon him had on his body. But even so, her heart still ached heavily for him all the same. Because much like the lingering poison still flowing through his veins, his internal anguish and dread were things that no amount of magic could hope to heal, as much as she wished they could.

Still, true to her word, Kairi was more than prepared to do whatever she could do to help Sora recover, even if the most that meant was sitting by his side while he slept. She kept her vigil faithfully, eventually letting her thoughts drift entirely as she continued her needlework in the calm quiet of the room. As the first rays of dawn began to peek in through the window however, she felt her eyes finally starting to grow heavy, her focus waning from her work as her sewing slowed to a much more sluggish pace. Eventually, she found herself unable to resist nodding off, at least for a few minutes, in the hopes of getting some semblance of rest that she'd found herself deprived of for the past two days now. And yet, she ultimately forced herself out of that rest a moment later, only to realize that Sora was staring directly at her.

She gasped, startled by his eyes more than anything else, which were still that strange amalgamation of his familiar easy blue mingled with a sharp, striking gold, and a bright, sickly green, each color harshly clashing against one another. While his various cuts and gashes had been healed earlier thanks to Aerith, the emerald glow of the poison within him still marred his skin, though his cheeks were noticeably flushed, adding onto Kairi's suspicion that he was suffering from a fever based on how dangerously warm he'd felt earlier. And yet, despite all this, his expression was surprisingly calm and reserved, his multicolored gaze intentionally focused on her in a stark contrast to the hysteria he'd awaken in just a few hours prior.

"Y-you're… you're awake…" Kairi noted softly, unsure of what else to say.

For his part, Sora didn't say anything for what seemed like ages as he continued to stare at her piercingly, almost as if he was trying to determine if she was real or not. When he finally did speak, his voice was small and quiet and so unlike how it _should _have sounded that it practically shook Kairi to her core. "...You look different," he said simply, not elaborating beyond that.

In spite of the circumstances, the observation admittedly caught Kairi off guard but she responded to it all the same. "Uh… y-yeah. New clothes. Sort of like yours, see?" She held up his mostly-repaired jacket for him to see. "It, um, it got a little torn up during… y-you know, so… I've been trying to fix it for you. It's probably not going to turn out as good as it was before, but-"

"It's perfect," Sora interrupted, his tone earnest though his expression didn't change. "Thank you."

"Y-you're welcome…" Kairi briefly glanced away, ignoring the slight rush of warmth filling her cheeks as she turned her thoughts toward more serious matters instead. "Sora, I-"

"You cut your hair," he pointed out, completely derailing her previous train of thought once again.

"Yeah, I… uh, I did," she nodded somewhat awkwardly, realizing that he was still focusing so intently on her, almost as if she'd disappear completely if he didn't.

"I like it," he said as softly as ever. He was still completely subdued, almost emotionless even, but she knew he meant it all the same. "It reminds me of how you used to look when we were kids."

Kairi couldn't help but crack a small, incredulous grin at this. "We still _are _kids, silly."

Sora's expression finally shifted at this as he pulled his gaze away from her entirely, something akin to a mix of exhaustion and yearning filling in his features. "Yeah…" he muttered wearily, his tone surprisingly hollow. "I guess we are…"

Kairi sighed as she absently folded his jacket up in her lap. She realized that she might have to tread more carefully than usual with him, as not to upset him in the aftermath of the traumatic experience he'd just been through. And yet, that caution completely went out the window the moment she noticed him making his initial attempts at sitting up, only for him to hiss sharply in pain the moment he so much as moved his arm to the side.

"W-wait, stop!" Kairi immediately rose to her feet, her eyes wide with alarm. At the same time, Sora let out another agonized groan as he tried to get up again, only for persistent pain spiraling through every part of his body to essentially keep him pinned to his spot on the bed. "Sora, you need to stay-"

He immediately silenced her with a loud, pained, frustrated shout as his head ultimately dropped back onto his pillow, his breathing heavy as a thin layer of sweat formed on his forehead from the strain of the effort. "I-I don't understand," he began, suddenly, aptly distraught. "What's going on?! Why can't I-"

"Sora," Kairi hastily, anxiously placed a gentle hand against his bare arm to halt his futile attempts at moving it. "You _need _to stay as still as you can. Moving will only make it worse."

"M-make _what _worse?"

"D-do… do you not remember what happened to you?"

"I-I… Yeah, I remember some…" he admitted, his voice tight as he closed his eyes, largely to avoid meeting Kairi's crestfallen, pitied gaze. "I let Maleficent capture me, a-and I almost escaped but… then… then she... "

As he trailed off into a fretful sigh, Kairi ventured a guess to fill in the rest of the story from where he'd left off. "Then she poisoned you…" she said, not daring to describe what she knew had happened to him after that point.

"P-poison…" he repeated, glancing down at his arms as much as he could. For the first time, he noticed the unnatural green pallor his veins had taken on, a sight that was deeply unnerving in and of itself, though what made it even worse was the fearful implication that came along with it. "I-is… is that why I can't move…?"

"It's why you _shouldn't _move." Sora and Kairi were both equally startled as they were joined by everyone else. Aerith entered first with Yuffie right behind her, toting medical supplies in for the other girl. Yet before Leon, Cid, and Axel could join them, they were essentially pushed aside by Donald and Goofy, both of whom frantically rushed in and wasted no time scrambling to their young companion's bedside.

"Sora!" Goofy exclaimed with a bright, relieved smile. "You're awake!"

"About time!" Donald huffed impatiently. "You had us worried sick! _Again_!"

"I… have been making a habit of that lately, haven't I?" Sora frowned, though the slight hint of playfulness in his tone was undeniable.

"Boy, I'll say!" Goofy chuckled as both him and Donald offered Sora a set of sincere smiles. "We're so glad you're ok, Sora."

"I don't know if 'ok' is the word I would use to sum up how I'm feeling right now…" Sora sighed, wishing he could actually sit up to greet his companions properly.

"Well, after what you went through, kid, who can blame ya?" Cid remarked with a genuinely concerned frown.

"You'll need to take plenty of time to properly heal up thanks to that poison, that's for sure," Leon nodded, crossing his arms.

"Wait, what?" Despite it being the entire subject of discussion, Sora all but forgot about the poison entirely as he tried to get up yet again, only for the debilitating pain to hold him back once more. Kairi and a few of the others, namely Donald and Goofy, all hovered over him anxiously upon hearing his heavy anguished cry, though he largely ignored them in favor of getting some answers. "W-why… why would I need time to heal? C-can't we just… get rid of the poison using like… a spell or a potion or something?"

"Normally, yes, but… that's just it; this poison _isn't _normal," Aerith explained. "We've already tried nearly every spell and potion there is to try and negate the effect it's having on your body, but none of them have worked. Whatever kind of magic Maleficent created it from must have been very powerful and _very _devastating, but… she definitely knew what she was doing when she cast it on you. It was meant to completely incapacitate and paralyze you and I'm sorry to say that it's working exactly as she intended it to…"

"S-so what then?" Sora took another glance (or at least as much of a glance as he could) down at the discolored veins on his arm once more. "This is something that just… _can't _be healed? Is that it?"

"Oh, no, don't worry, you'll definitely get better," Yuffie assured, offering him a bright grin in the hopes of cheering him up. Even if it didn't work in the slightest. "But you'll have to do that part mostly on your own."

"From what I understand about this kind of magic, its effects _do _eventually fade away," Aerith clarified. "But like Leon said, it's going to take some time, even before you can get back up on your feet again."

Sora let out something of a disgruntled scoff at this, hating the thought of being helpless or immobilized in any sense, especially if he couldn't even _move _without being overwhelmed by indescribable agony. "How much time are we talking about here?" he asked, a bit harsher than he had meant to. "A few hours? Days-if worse really comes to worst?"

Everyone exchanged a diffident glance, none of them certain on how to break the rather unfortunate news to him, especially given how poorly he was taking the details of his current condition alone. But in the end, Kairi was the one to step up to speak the truth, knowing that he deserved it, as much as he certainly wouldn't like it. "Um, actually… It's… looking like it might be more like… weeks."

"_Weeks_?!" On impulse alone, Sora made yet another sudden, panicked attempt at sitting up, only to collapse back onto the bed with a shout of equal pain and frustration alike. Yet this time, he didn't stop trying, much to the shared alarm of the others as most of them rushed in to stop him, even despite his feeble efforts at pushing back against them. "No! _No _way! I-I can't be down and out for _weeks_! It's _not _happening!"

"Stop being stubborn!" Donald scolded firmly. "You need to stay put and _rest _so you get better!"

"No, what I _need _is to get up so we can get back out there and start looking for the Keys again!" Sora protested through gritted teeth, clearly struggling to simply pull himself upright at this point. "We're already wasted enough time with this whole mess as it is! If we just sit around here for weeks on end doing _nothing_, then the Organization is just gonna get even more of them on top of the one they _already _have!"

"A-and if we _do _leave with you poisoned like this, then the Organization might just end up doin' even worse than that!" Goofy reasoned with a fretful frown.

"S-so?" Sora argued fiercely, though it was quickly becoming clear that whatever little strength he had left was sharply waning against the poison-induced pain pounding through his veins. "A-after what I've just been through, the Organization is _nothing_! And if they even try to mess with us again, then I'll just-"

"_Stop_!" Kairi suddenly shouted, forcing Sora to finally be still again as she placed a hand against his chest and pushed him back down onto the bed. "Just stop it! You're not going _anywhere _until you're completely healed and that's _final_!"

As caught off guard by her sudden severity as he was, Sora wasn't so surprised that he didn't still have it in him to dispute her demands. "Kairi, you can't just-"

"Yes, I _can_," she hissed, glaring down at him authoritatively. "You aren't thinking clearly, Sora. You almost _died_ and you just… want to go running right back into danger even though you can't even run _at all_! But I will _not _stand by again just to watch you nearly lose _everything_ all over again. Which is exactly you're staying _right here _until I think you're well enough to leave and I will _not _hear any sort of arguing about it. Do you understand?"

A long bout of uncertain, uncomfortable silence filled the entire room at this, none of the others daring to interject between the two as they stared each other down fiercely. But when Sora remained stubbornly silent, Kairi wasted no time in pressing her previous question upon him once again. "I _said_, do you understand, Sora-"

"Yes," he answered, surprisingly immediate. And yet, he didn't meet her gaze at all as he did, instead, glaring in the exact opposite direction as he quietly, bitterly reiterated his response. "I understand."

"Good," Kairi looked back to the group who had been watching their heated exchange intently. Now that most of her anger had fizzled out, she couldn't deny she felt somewhat ashamed for how harshly she had treated Sora, especially considering his current circumstances. And yet, she still stood by what she had said; because if he had no intentions of protecting himself, then she would just have to do it for him. "Um… you should get some rest," she said to Sora with a tired sigh as she motioned to the others to take their leave. They did so solemnly, some of them sending quiet well wishes Sora's way, none of which he bothered to return. Kairi followed the procession, though she did linger in the doorway for just a moment, not to offer him the apology she really wanted to, but to say something far less meaningful instead. "I-I'll be back to check on you soon."

"I thought you were going to stay with me," Sora said quietly, his voice and expression both rigid as he finally looked at her once more.

As she returned his gaze, Kairi couldn't help but feel that familiar spark of frustration, mingled with perhaps the slightest bit of pity, brimming up inside her. Because even though she had indeed made a promise to him, she felt no obligation to keep that promise if he wasn't willing to at least meet her halfway. "And I thought you would be more careful," was all she said before she walked out and closed the door behind her.

* * *

The next few days passed in a quiet, uneventful fashion. A series of steady showers was washing its way over Radiant Garden, ushering in a dreary mood both indoors and out. Between being cooped inside up by the constant rain and Merlin still being away on his trip, neither the Restoration Committee nor Kairi and Axel had much to do. That is, aside from doing what they could to help Sora recover, not that he was really letting them accomplish that much to begin with. Donald and Goofy largely led the efforts on that front, understanding their young companion's strong, if not stubborn, desire to get back to their search for the Keys. Yet, even their comforting company and continuous attempts to, at the very least, cheer him up did little to raise his diminished spirits.

Since the reveal of his lengthy recovery period, Sora had largely remained as quiet as he was still as the poison showed no signs, physical or otherwise, of letting up even as several days went by. In light of this complete lack of any progress, he had grown both sullen and largely silent, only offering terse, soft spoken answers when necessary but otherwise not engaging in any sort of actual conversation at all, despite several attempts at getting him to do so. He had outright ignored Leon's questions about the finer details of what had happened while he had been imprisoned by Maleficent, as well as Cid's efforts to rebuff such grim inquiries with a bout of much-needed humor. He never reacted much to Aerith (with Yuffie's enthusiastic assistance) coming in for daily healing sessions that were little more than checkups than anything else seeing as how they did nothing at all to purge the poison from his system. Donald and Goofy's lighthearted discussions about what they'd do and where they'd go once he was better were all but lost on him as he started to doubt if he ever really _would _get better at this rate. Even Axel offhandedly mentioning Roxas to him did little to spur any genuine response out of Sora, only adding onto the mounting mutual worry everyone had been feeling for both his stagnant physical condition and his clearly deteriorating mental and emotional wellbeing.

For her part, Kairi hadn't really spoken to Sora since making her demand for him to stay put. She had certainly visited him, several times a day in fact, though she always accompanied one of the others when she did. And even then, she often stayed on the far side of the room, averting his piercingly discolored gaze that was always, _always _on her whenever she was around, almost as if he was expecting something from her. She knew exactly what that something was too: her permission for him to get up and leave, permission that she completely refused to give as long as he was still physically incapable of doing so to begin with. And yet, she couldn't deny that she understood his desperation and disappointment. Being completely immobile to the point of needing assistance in tasks as simple as even eating and drinking had to be maddening for anyone, but especially for someone as usually active and agile as Sora. As the days wore on without much of a change in his demeanor, Kairi steadily began to suspect he was depressed, or at least on his way there, a notion she didn't bother sharing with the others given the fact that it was easy to tell from his often exhausted, miserable expression alone.

Another suspicion Kairi had was that Sora hadn't been sleeping, even though he couldn't really do much else in his current condition. Though she hadn't relayed the message to him herself, she had asked some of the others to pass along that he'd heal much faster if he allowed himself to properly rest. Yet her secondhand advice didn't seem to do much good as the circles under his eyes only grew darker and his silence became even more empty with each passing day. Even so, Kairi continued her firm, distanced stance when it came to Sora, largely since she had no idea what to say or do to bridge that newfound, unwelcome distance as much as she truly wanted to. As much as she knew just how much both of them really needed to at a time like this.

Yet still, the gap between them remained, at least until the night came when neither of them could withstand what was keeping them apart any longer.

It had been a little less than a week since his rescue, but for Sora it might as well have been decades. He hadn't moved from his spot on the bed since that hectic first night, though that didn't mean he hadn't tried in the sparse moments he managed to have entirely to himself without any of the others fretfully hovering over him. Those attempts were always put to a swift and agonizing end thanks to the poison, which hardly seemed to be subsiding at all as far as he could tell. While the others all made lofty promises and assurances that he would heal and be up and about again in no time, Sora was quickly starting to believe that such promises didn't hold much weight to them at all. Instead, they were just another rather condescending endeavor to try and help him feel better, an endeavor he cared nothing for mostly because he didn't just want to _feel _better; he wanted to _be _better. He wanted to be able to do things, even the most mundane of tasks really, on his own again as opposed to needing to ask for help or relying on others to do them for him. He wanted to get up and _walk_, to go outside and go back to _normal_. But above all else, he wanted to get back on the Gummi Ship with Donald and Goofy in tow and get back to what he knew they _needed _to do: searching for the Keys and saving the worlds, as if this horrific nightmare had never happened in the first place.

When it came to nightmares, however, Sora had been no stranger to having them as of late. Just about all of them had to do with his recent captivity, with Maleficent often ominously and maliciously featuring to make him relive every horrendous second of the torture she'd put him through in reality. Given how he was already still vividly suffering in the aftermath of it all thanks to the poison she'd forced upon him, he wasn't exactly keen on reliving the start of the torment he was all-too powerless to escape even now that the worst of it was over. But he did, at the very least, have _some _power to escape his haunting nightmares and that power came in the form of avoiding sleep altogether. Despite everyone constantly advising him to get proper rest, Sora knew he wasn't exactly getting too much 'rest' whenever he slept to begin with, so he hardly saw his intentional lack of it to be much of a loss. Still, he hardly wasted his time at night like he was more or less forced to during the day. Because while the others all slept and eased up their nearly constant watch over him, he used the relative freedom allotted to him to do whatever he could to rebuild his largely lost strength.

He'd started with his hands, flexing his fingers as he possibly could all while trying his best to ignore the resounding sting that viciously sparked up in each of them as he did. Forming a fist had been an excruciating challenge as the poison cruelly punished him for even being foolish and brazen enough to try it. And he had nearly blacked out completely from the unbearable pain that simply bending his arm just a few mere inches had brought him. But still he didn't stop, he _refused _to stop because each and every tiny move he was making _had _to be bringing him one step closer to no longer feeling like a prisoner trapped inside his own immobile body.

Still, the relatively small scraps of progress here and there quickly ceased to satisfy Sora, especially when he realized just how insignificant that progress really was. Because as he spent his days boredly languishing and his nights only barely moving at all, his thoughts soon turned to walking, to running, to summoning his Keyblade and properly fighting again, all such simple things that he'd grown to miss so much in such a short amount of time.

And the more time he spent thinking about those things, the more he started to realize that the only one really holding him back from doing any of them... was himself. So he decided that if he couldn't be healed the easy way, then he'd just have to _force _himself to heal, no matter how difficult and agonizing it might be.

He had waited until he was sure everyone else in the house was fast asleep before even starting his attempt, knowing that the last thing he wanted was for any of them to rush in and stop him. He did genuinely appreciate just how much they all cared and all they were gladly willing to do for him, but he couldn't deny that their care was stifling to say the least. Which was why he wanted to make sure they all stayed out of the loop about what he was about to do. He made good use of the spare rag he'd casually asked Yuffie to leave lying on the edge of his pillow, snatching it with his mouth and pulling it toward him to make use of it as a self-imposed gag. And as soon as that gag was in place, he wasted no time forcing himself into motion.

The pain was every bit as awful and immense as he'd expected it to be as he pulled his arms back alone, but it only intensified tenfold as he positioned them to pull himself up. Still, he swiftly silenced whatever cry or scream might have escaped him by biting down hard on the rag, especially as his chest heaved with agony as he fully came to sit upright. The entire process was slow and sickening, his vision blurring and his body trembling violently as he clung onto the edges of the bed for dear life to support himself. Yet all the same he forced himself to ignore the anguish, as intense as it be, even as he swiveled his legs to hang off the side of the bed. Even as his bare feet so much as skimmed the wooden floor he knew this was going to be the worst part by far, but seeing as how he'd already made it this far, he knew he couldn't give up now. Especially when the thought of being stuck in that bed for one more minute was nearly just as horrendous as the incredible pain he was enduring to get out of it.

So, for the first time in days, he stood, though not without needing to grip the bed tightly as his legs nearly gave way entirely both from the pain and from a recent lack of use. Even despite his gag, he still let out a heavy, albeit muffled groan of anguish, involuntary tears starting to well up in his eyes as he did whatever he could to steady himself. Still, he wasn't able to properly stand on his own as he instead stumbled backward toward the nearby wall, each and every sudden step sending excruciating shockwaves throughout his entire body. He fell into the wall much louder than he would have wanted to yet it managed to support him as he leaned against it desperately, his body and mind both in a frenzied haze as they shared one sole, single mission: to keep moving, regardless of how miserable it made him. He quickly tied that mission to a more specific goal as he spotted the mirror hanging on the wall several feet adjacent to him. If he could just make it to that mirror, he reasoned, then he could stop, he could take a break, he could _rest _just as his poison-pounded body was practically begging him to do.

It should have been easy, a journey of only a few short steps yet those steps felt like miles to Sora as he set out toward it, each subtle movement he happened to make sparking up the equivalent of a thousand knives stabbing away at him all at the same exact time. He kept his grip on the wall, knowing it was the only thing keeping him standing at all as he slowly shuffled forward in tiny, shakey steps, his gag only barely managing to keep his persistent sobs quiet. But even still he didn't stop, knowing that if he could learn to suppress and ignore the pain that had been holding him back, then he could finally _be _better, just like he wanted. Just like he _needed_.

By the time he finally did reach the mirror, it felt like hours had passed. He relinquished his hold on the wall, only to sway forward toward the mirror itself, stopping himself by throwing both of his hands up to rest on either side of it. His breathing was heavy and shallow as he desperately tried to catch it, his head hanging low as he hoped the unbearable pain would finally die down now that he was mostly still. And yet, when he finally did manage to briefly glance up at the mirror, what he saw in his reflection completely replaced all thoughts of pain and poison with a heavy wave of newfound panic instead.

Surprisingly, the least of his worries were his veins, even as poison flowing through them cast a vibrant green glow that was bright enough to nearly luminate the entire dimly-lit room. But two other striking changes in his features terrified him far more than what he already largely knew about. First were his eyes, a bizarre, twisted mess of blue, green, and gold alike, the colors almost constantly shifting and mingling with each other in different ways, none of which made any sense as they seemed to shine as brightly as his veins currently were. But even more alarming than that was something he was shocked none of the others had apparently noticed yet: a single, yet stark lock of pure white, contrasting heavily against the rest of his usually brown hair as it just barely peeked out from under his bangs. But it was there all the same, just like the gold in his eyes or the shadows on his hands or the cracks on his Keyblade or the scar on his chest.

They were all there, all _proof_, proof that he couldn't continue to ignore or deny or hide away any longer. Proof that his absolute worst fears were coming true, that his worst nightmare was already on its way to becoming a reality.

Proof that his heart really was falling into Xehanort's control after all.

And that, on top of the poison, on top of what Maleficent had done to him, on top of losing a Key, on top of everything else, was all mounting onto a lengthy list of woe that was becoming far too much to bear. As Sora stole another glance at the mirror, as he caught sight of that first piece of white hair and those haunting hints of gold in his eyes, he quickly found he couldn't even stand the sight anymore. He thought nothing of the sweeping pain flooding his every sense as he quickly raised his hand and, in a moment of sheer distraught panic and fearful desperation, he slammed his fist directly into his reflection at full force.

His self-made gag had already fallen out of his mouth the first moment he'd caught sight of his reflection, which meant there was now nothing to block the loud, agonized cry he let out as the mirror's glass completely shattered from the heavy blow. Certainly the combined clamors had awakened somebody, but Sora hardly cared as he helplessly collapsed to the floor, pain surging violently through his limbs but especially through his hand, which was bleeding heavily thanks to the shards of glass now piercing his knuckles. But even the immense physical anguish paled in comparison to the dread and despair that had overtaken it, his mournful tears falling freely as he wondered what came next, how long he had left, what would happen once he was finally-

"Sora!" Kairi's shocked gasp broke through his manic thoughts instantly. Likewise, whatever barrier of silence and distance that had once stood between them was also shattered as she hurried over to him, clad only in her night shirt and shorts, her hair a frazzled mess from having awakened so suddenly. Still, as far as she was concerned, Sora looked much worse off at the moment as he lay curled in on himself on the floor, surrounded by countless shards of broken glass as he tightly gripped his hand, which was absolutely drenched in blood. His eyes were tightly shut as his breathing came out in tight, choked gasps which were more akin to sobs given the tears steadily streaming down his face. As admittedly confusing as such an alarming sight was, Kairi was overwhelmed with grief and guilt as she stared down at him, and though she was heavily tempted to call for help, she ultimately decided against it. Instead, she slowly knelt down to his level, taking care to avoid stepping on any of the scattered glass as she placed a soft hand against his trembling shoulder. "W-what happened…?" she whispered worriedly, though he didn't answer. In fact, he didn't say anything at all as he instead drew away from her, almost as if he were ashamed to simply be in her presence, which, unbeknownst to her, was very close to the truth.

She waited a moment, determining that none of the others had been awakened by his outburst, before deciding to take matters into her own hands instead. It took some time and some doing to finally calm him down enough to convince him to move at all, though her whispered comforting and gentle rubs on his arm and back finally soothed him enough to concede as much as he could. Even the tiniest of movements still caused Sora immense pain, obviously, and while she couldn't even hope to lift and carry him like Axel or Leon could, Kairi still allowed him to lean heavily against her as she slowly, methodically guided him back over to the bed.

Once she was sure he was properly settled, she rushed downstairs to retrieve some of Aerith's supplies, namely wipes and gauze to stop the steady bleeding. By the time she returned, his agonized sobs had mostly turned into silent tears, though whether those tears were spurred by the pain or by something else entirely, she had no idea. Even so, she was as careful as she possibly could be as she took his injured hand and began to clean and dress the heavy gashes the glass had torn across it. All the while she let her own healing magic flow through his wounds, said magic creating a soft, warm glow across the otherwise darkened room. They both remained seeped in a dense silence for quite some time, the only thing breaking through it being the constant quiet patter of the nighttime rain against the window outside. While Kairi tried to remain focused on her healing work, every now and then she would steal a brief glance at Sora himself, though he never returned it. Instead, he simply looked away, his expression awash in obvious grief and woe, though it did little to convey whatever he might have been thinking about. She nearly asked him, though she was largely torn between that and scolding him for the clearly painful trip he'd taken across the room that he hadn't been ready for at all. The mirror was the biggest mystery to her however, for with his hand as cut up as it was, he must have broken it on purpose. But as for what that purpose had been, Kairi was certain he wouldn't divulge it to her. Though what he did say to her instead caught her off guard just as much as anything else would have at that point.

"K-Kairi…" he began, the sound of his voice, soft and sorrowful as it was, bringing a fresh spark of pity to her heart. Slowly, he turned the hand that she'd been holding so he could grip hers, even though the small action alone was clearly agonizing for him. And all the while, his multi-colored eyes brimmed with tears as he stared at her pleadingly, desperately even as he made a simple, single request. "I-I need you to heal me… _please…"_

Kairi frowned, confused by such an odd request as she glanced down at his nearly-healed hand. "Sora, I-I'm already healing you…"

"No." He let out what almost sounded like a whimper as he squeezed her hand just the slightest bit. "My heart… I need you to heal my _heart_…"

"...Your heart?"

"S-something's wrong with it… I..." he hesitated, though ultimately what he let slip by was a lie, even though he knew he couldn't really afford to do that now. "I don't know what, I just… I _need _your help, p-please, Kairi, this… i-it feels _so-_"

"Shh…" she quieted him, not needing to hear the extent of the anguish his heart was feeling. After all, she could feel it well enough on her own. "I… I'll do whatever I can to help…"

He sighed, closing his eyes as he accepted that help, trusting her, perhaps more than anyone else, with this problem, even if he knew he ran the risk of exposing such an awful secret if he did. Still, he lay still, allowing her healing hands to move toward his chest as she brought them to hover just above his heart. Crisp, warm light blossomed over her hands once again as she got to work, focusing in on the deep, lasting connection between them so she could reach out to him. She knew well that he hadn't asked her for any physical healing; the kind of healing he _had _asked for was something she was admittedly less well-versed in, something she had only accomplished once before, just a few short days ago, on him. And the moment her heart bound itself to his, she could feel that same sort of agony, rich and clear and unbearable in every way imaginable. Amidst that agony, there were plenty of other equally horrendous emotions: fear, guilt, dread, fury, and sorrow, and yet for intense as all of them were, they were all tinged with something else. Darkness, a different kind entirely than what had overwhelmed his body, mind, and heart before. It was forign, yet familiar all at once as it effectively waged war against his heart, threatening to suffocate it and blot out every single speck of light that existed within it. It was aggressive, merciless as completely ignored and overcame his courageous attempts at resisting it. Because the only thing it wanted, the sole thing it craved, was to claim every last part of him, body, mind, and heart alike, entirely as its own.

The mere presence of such oppressive darkness was enough to shock Kairi to her core. Her focus immediately broke, her eyes opening wide as she stumbled back, weakened from so much as even making contact with such a horrific force. She didn't even realize she was trembling in genuine fear until she heard Sora's worried call for her.

"Kairi!" He sat up as much as he could, despite how much pain it clearly brought him. "I-I'm sorry! I didn't know-I-I… I didn't think that-"

"N-no, please, don't be sorry!" Kairi rushed back to his side to calm him down. "If anyone's sorry, it should be me. I… I tried, I really did, but… I don't think my light is strong enough to heal you..." _"Or your darkness," _she almost added, but didn't. Because he didn't know, he said he didn't know, and the last thing she wanted was to do was add onto his already palpable misery with such troubling thoughts.

That misery was largely forgotten, however, as Sora noticed the remorseful tears starting to well up in Kairi's eyes as she looked at him as if both of them were broken. Which, by all accounts, they might as well have been, albeit in very different ways. "N-no… Kairi, I… it's not your fault," he said, lying back down as he glanced away from her guiltily. "I never should have asked in the first place…" After all, how could he possibly expect anyone, even her, to purify something that was already so deeply corrupted to begin with?

"B-but you're hurt!" Kairi protested earnestly. "You're _badly _hurt, inside and out, and all you wanted was for me to help you and I can't even do _that _right! Everyone keeps saying I have all of these amazing light and healing powers, but what good are they if I can't use them to help you when you really need me to!?"

As Kairi let out a frustrated sigh, Sora remained largely silent, unsure of what to say to comfort her, as much as he truly wanted to. Even still, he put his own pressing worries and fears aside to at the very least try to ease hers in any minimal way he could. "Well," he said softly, garnishing her tearful attention. "I… I think I know something you could do that _would _help…"

While she was initially confused, it didn't take her long to figure out what he was implying. "Oh, that's right…" she wiped a few of her fallen tears away as she offered him a slight smile. "I did make you a promise… didn't I?"

"Yeah…" he said, relishing the simple comfort of her touch as her hand lightly came to skim his. "A-and I hope you keep it tonight, because I… I really don't want to be alone right now…"

"And you won't be," she assured him as she squeezed his hand slightly. "But if I'm staying, then I am _not _sitting up in that chair all night. I'll be right back."

"Huh? Kairi, what are you-" Sora didn't get an answer as Kairi slipped out of the room entirely to go back to hers, though she returned a few moments later with her own blanket and pillow in tow. "Wait," Sora balked, his eyes wide as he watched her place both items on the bed right beside him. "Kairi, you're not-"

"What?" she interrupted with a soft chuckle as she came to sit on the edge of the bed. "You, me, and Riku always used to do this when we were little, remember?"

"Yeah… when we were _little_…"

"So? What's the difference now?" she asked as she tucked herself away under her covers. "You lucked out with getting such a big bed, which means there's plenty of room for both of us."

Knowing he couldn't exactly argue with that logic, Sora let out a small, relenting sigh as he turned his head to face Kairi as she comfortably lay beside him. While the bed was certainly large enough to fit them both, there was still only about a foot or two of space between them, both barely enough and almost far more than enough all at the same time.

"Sora," she whispered, her tone sad and sincere as she absently placed her hand onto the bed in that space between them. "I'm… so, _so _sorry that all this happened to you. You're the absolute last person in any world who would deserve to go through everything you've been through…"

He nearly argued this claim with a number of reasons as to why he _did _deserve what had happened to him, why it had only made sense for him to suffer like he had in light of the lies he'd told and the darkness he was harboring. And yet, he knew she wouldn't want to listen to any of that, so instead he went with the other, much more comforting thought that had come to him on the same beat. "Well, you know, it's not all bad…"

"Oh? And why's that?" she frowned, confused until he slowly slipped his hand over hers.

Her confusion completely melted away into warm affection when, for the first time in what felt like years, she finally saw him truly, genuinely _smile. _"Because… I get to be here with you."

And much in the same way, for the first time in a long time, both of them finally _fully _slept the night through, their hands remaining overlapped as they offered each other the best kind of healing either of them knew how to provide. The healing that came with simply being _together_.

* * *

After a week of nearly nonstop rain, the sun had finally returned to Radiant Garden, something that Kairi casually realized when the first rays of morning light shining through the window awakened her the next morning. Yet what she noticed before even that was Sora, sleeping peacefully just a few feet across from her. It was a welcome sight to say the least, though what made it even better was perhaps the first clear sign that the poison was perhaps starting to subside. The green hue that had once painted the veins on his face had receded almost completely, returning some of the natural coloration of his skin. Still, that dull emerald glow still traced its way down his neck toward his chest, proof that he wasn't close to being in the clear just yet. But even so, it was a start, even if it was a small one.

Kairi would have been perfectly content with continuing to enjoy the view right in front of her, but soon enough the quiet calm of the room was interrupted by a sudden knock on the door. "Sora!" Donald called as he and Goofy entered, the latter toting a generously-loaded tray of food.

"Up and at 'em!" the captain chimed in brightly. "We brought ya some breakfa-" The pair immediately stopped short as Kairi hastily sat up just on the other side of Sora's sleeping form. Her eyes were wide with alarm as she silently shushed them, though as she took stock of their dumbfounded expressions, she immediately and awkwardly realized exactly what this scene must have looked like without any context.

"Ah… u-um…" she whispered, stammering as she glanced down at Sora beside her. Thankfully, he was still completely out of it, otherwise he might have seen the heavy rush of red that had already started filling her cheeks. "H-he's asleep," she anxiously explained as quietly as she could. "_Actually _asleep this time."

Donald and Goofy quickly eased up at this, both of them realizing the significance of such a feat as they rightly assumed Kairi had been the one to accomplish it. Which was why they opted to let their young companion continue getting his much-needed rest as they filed out of the room with allayed smiles. For her part, Kairi let out her own relieved sigh as she lay back down, only to receive another burst of surprise when she spotted the coy grin Sora, who was now very much awake, was sending her way.

"Well, I _was _actually asleep," he admitted wryly. "But I sure am glad I woke up in time for that because even with my eyes closed the entire time, it was _hilarious_."

"Wha-Sora!" Kairi gasped, bolting upright once more as she playfully shoved her pillow into his face. Laughing, he easily pushed it away, though it was only as he did that they both realized he had done so seemingly without any sort of resounding pain at all. "Wait…" Kairi stilled, staring at him incredulously. "Did you just…?"

"Y-yeah…" Sora looked to his right arm, just as stunned as he moved it around freely, even raising it high above him. "I-it doesn't hurt at all…"

"What about your other arm?" Kairi asked, almost a bit too eagerly. And yet when Sora shifted to start moving his other limb, a harsh hiss of pain escaped him as he used his now freed hand to quickly anchor it back down.

"N-no, I… I guess I only get one…" he sighed, disappointed as he laid his now mobile arm across his chest.

"Well, one's better than nothing," Kairi offered him an encouraging smile as she placed her hand over his.

"I owe it to you," Sora noted, returning her grin slightly. "This was the hand you healed last night, right?"

"Yeah, but… healing magic doesn't work against the poison, remember?" Her tone grew a bit warmer, prouder at this. "That means you did this all on your own."

"...I spent a whole week doing nothing but lying in bed and all I have to show for it is getting to move just _one _arm around?" Sora asked, a hint of dry, annoyed sarcasm in his voice. "_Great_… That's some _real _progress right there..."

"Hey, again, it's better than nothing," Kairi reminded. "And it's a pretty good start at that. Who knows? This could mean that you're on your way to healing completely much faster than you think."

"I hope so…" Sora sighed, though he still smiled at the thought all the same.

"I _know _so," Kairi assured warmly, nestling back into bed so they could both enjoy each other's company for just a bit longer. "Just you wait; I'm sure you'll be back up and feeling better in no time at all."

* * *

As it turned out, Kairi ended up being far more right than she could have imagined. Because much to everyone's surprise, Sora had finally started healing at a much more steady, consistent rate when compared to the week before. Within the span of the next two days, he had already regained largely painless control of his other arm, though both of them were relatively sore and weak from a lack of use. Of course, his physical condition wasn't the only recent improvement; his mood was significantly lighter and more upbeat, his former dejected silence replaced with an eagerness for conversation with anyone whenever they dropped in to check on him. True, he still did have his occasional dour moments of disappointment or despondency-which was certainly understandable given his situation, but for the most part, it was easy to see that Sora was well on his way back to his usual self. And as miraculous as the sudden turnaround might have seemed, none of the others had to take too many guesses as to what, or rather who, had been the one who had sparked it in the first place.

Despite both of them trying to keep it under wraps, it really was no secret to anyone that Sora and Kairi had started spending their nights together. While Donald and Goofy had really been the only ones to catch them doing so, it was easy to see that the pair had been spending quite a bit of time together, both daily and nightly. Whenever any of the others came in to see Sora, they usually found that Kairi had already beaten them to it, not that either of them ever minded having any additional company. With her training essentially on pause while Merlin was still away, Kairi had plenty of idle time on her hands that she put to good use by occupying Sora's. The two would spend hours on what they hadn't been able to properly do in quite some time now: simply talking and catching up, exchanging stories of the present (Kairi's from training and Sora's from Key searching) as well as anecdotes from the past (from their peaceful days back on the Destiny Islands). They'd joke and laugh and carry on every bit as much as they used to, any semblance of the anxious tension that had rested between them just a few short days ago completely gone. A welcome change of pace for them both given just how much they'd missed being together like this after being apart for so long.

It had been a few days since the first night they'd spent together that Kairi happened to remember that a certain special occasion was coming up very soon. And as soon as she did, she immediately began planning, spreading the word to everyone but Sora as she devised a scheme meant solely for him. It was coming just in time too as he'd recently regained the ability to sit up on his own again, his upper body now mostly mobile even if his legs still surged with pain any time he so much as tried to walk. Still, it was enough to satisfy Kairi that her plan would work as she put into motion as soon as she woke up on the intended morning, knowing that this was something neither of them would want to miss.

"Hey, good morning," she greeted brightly almost as soon as she opened her eyes, only to find that he was already wide awake beside her. Ever since he'd asked to have his bed moved closer to the window, it had become something of a pastime for him to casually watch the hustle and bustle of the busy streets of Radiant Garden down below, a pastime that she often joined him on in the early hours of the morning they had together.

"Morning," he said, turning to her with a smile.

"I have a surprise for you," she grinned as she sat up.

"A surprise? What is it?"

"Well, it wouldn't be a surprise if I just _told _you what it was," she chuckled as she got up out of bed.

"Aw, c'mon, Kairi…" he groaned in faux exasperation. "Can't I at least have a hint?"

"Just be patient!" she scolded, smirking. "I have to go get something for it first. Be right back." So Kairi hurried off, leaving Sora in complete suspense for whatever she intended on giving him or showing him. She returned about an hour later, fully dressed and ready for the day as she rolled in perhaps the last thing he'd been expecting.

"It's… a wheelchair…" he frowned, admittedly surprised by the chair itself as well as what it implied. Namely, the idea that he was still far more invalid than he wanted to be.

"Hey, it wasn't easy getting this wheelchair, you know," Kairi protested, hands on her hips. "I've been pestering Cid to trade in some old computer parts for it for _days_. Besides, this isn't the surprise. It's just what's going to get you _to _the surprise."

"Wait…" Sora's formerly dubious tone shifted to anticipation at this. "You mean…?"

"Yep," Kairi nodded as she summoned her Keyblade. She pointed its tip toward the far side of the room as light surrounded it, and from her focus she formed a bright portal to some unknown location. "We're finally getting you out of this room."

Sora broke into a huge smile at this, unable to hide how elated he was by the mere thought of getting out and seeing something other than the same four walls he'd gotten far too used to by now. Yet even so, he did have at least one reservation about the plan. "Uh… can I ask where we're going?"

"No," Kairi answered simply as she pushed the wheelchair closer to the bed. "You'll see when we get there. Now come on; as excited as I am about this whole thing, I bet there's no one more eager to see you get up and out then, well… you."

"You can say that again," Sora readily agreed, doing what little he could to get ready for the trip. It took some doing between both him and Kairi, and though some significant pain did come along with the transition, he eventually managed to slip out of bed and into the chair. And as soon as she made sure he was properly seated and comfortable, Kairi wasted no time in wheeling him into the portal she'd made, hoping that her surprise, for as simple as it was, would satisfy him all the same.

When the light from the portal cleared, the pair had arrived in a place that was picturesque to say the least; a deep, dense forest of lush, towering trees, drenched in the fresh, bright colors of a springtime morning. Between the gentle breeze swaying the leaves, birds chirped their cheery melodies from unknown perches, creating an air of captivating peace and promise that Sora couldn't help but appreciate as he took in a deep breath of the warm, crisp, clean air. "Whoa... " he said, absolutely fascinated as he looked around. "Where are we?"

"We're in a special world Merlin made just for me and Axel to train in," Kairi explained, smiling as she began to push his chair down a makeshift path through the woods. "But since we haven't really been training since he's been gone, so I thought it might as well be put to use _somehow. _I also thought that some fresh air might be just what you needed."

"You thought right," Sora sighed contentedly as he hung his arms behind his head. "This place is amazing."

"It gets better," Kairi said, stopping short just shy of arriving at the edge of the forest. "But… you have to close your eyes for this next part." Sora raised a curious eyebrow at this, but he ultimately complied when she insisted. She said nothing as she wheeled him forward a bit more, eventually bringing his chair to a stop in the right spot before scrambling to get the finishing touches ready.

"Will I get to open my eyes _sometime_ today?" Sora asked teasingly, though he still kept them closed as she had advised.

"Well, if you're gonna be that impatient, you can open them… now," Kairi said, watching his reaction with growing excitement as he got his first glimpse of the stunning view before them.

Indeed, it astonished him more than even the forest itself had; a vast, wide valley stretched out far before them, just as rich and radiant as the rest of the woods were. And yet, what caught his attention almost as much as the view itself was what Kairi had set up beside him. "What's all this?" he asked with a curious smile as he looked over the picnic lunch she'd prepared. It wasn't anything extravagant, just a few sandwiches and snacks, all of which she'd plated quite nicely. But what was most interesting about the entire set up was a single elegantly-decorated cupcake topped with a brightly burning candle at the center of it all.

"Surprise!" Kairi cheered, holding the cupcake up to him. For his part, however, Sora simply looked between it and her, absolutely bemused until he shook his head in confusion.

"Ok, I give up," he said with a puzzled grin. "I have no idea what any of this is for."

"...Sora... " Kairi's smile swiftly disappeared at this. "Do you… not know what today is?"

"Um… I could be wrong, but… I'm pretty sure it's a Thursday?"

"Well, yeah. But _this _Thursday also happens to be your birthday."

Sora started at this, somehow even more bewildered by this news as he shook his head slowly. "N-no, its… it can't be, it's not even…" he stopped short, his eyes widening as the realization finally struck him. "Oh my gosh, it _is _my birthday…."

"Honestly, Sora, how did you manage to forget your _own _birthday?" Kairi couldn't help but chuckle at just how dumbfounded he seemed to be. "Especially since you _never _have any problems remembering mine or Riku's."

"Hey, can you really blame me?" Sora protested defensively. "After all, I don't really remember celebrating my last birthday either…"

Kairi's otherwise playful expression turned solemn at this as she realized exactly why he lacked that memory, if what Riku had told her was anything to go off of. "W-well, do you at least know how old you're turning today?"

"Of _course _I do," he scoffed, though his confidence quickly dropped off. "I'm… uh… mm…"

"16?"

"Yeah, that's right, 16," he nodded before being caught off guard once again. "Wait, _really_?!"

Kairi let out an exasperated sigh as she placed the cupcake in his lap before taking a seat on a tree stump across from him. "You're absolutely hopeless," she smirked, though her tone soon turned wistful as she looked out at the expansive view before them. "You know, if we were back home, then I'm sure everyone would be throwing you a huge party right now. Especially since 16 is such an important milestone."

"Ugh, don't remind me," Sora crossed his arms, though he was still smiling all the while. "My mom always used to tell me that when I turned 16, I'd become a 'man', whatever _that's _supposed to mean."

"It means you're all grown up, silly," Kairi laughed, amused. "And that's a pretty special occasion. Which is why I wish I could have done more to help make it even more special for you, but… I hope this is at least close to good enough."

"Are you kidding? This is great!" Sora readily assured her. His bright smile quickly faded however as he looked back down to the treat she'd given him. "Honestly, you might have even done _too _much. I mean, it's not like it's anything actually worth celebrating…"

"...What do you mean?"

For a moment, it seemed as though he was actually going to explain, but in the end he simply shook his head and glanced away instead. "I-it… it's nothing…"

"It's not nothing to me," she leaned forward, catching his gaze once more. "Sora, if something's bothering you, then I want to hear about it. I told you before: I'll do whatever I can to help you. But I can't help if I don't know what's wrong."

He hesitated, clearly anxious about divulging something so personal, but in the end he knew that if there was anyone he trusted with what he was about to say, then it was her. "I… I don't think I deserve this…" he began carefully, yet honestly. "_Any _of this. Everyone's been so great about helping me ever since all this started, but I don't get _why_. It's like… you all just dropped _everything _just for me, even though you could be doing so many other important things! Heck, you and Axel even stopped your Keyblade training because of me."

"Of course we did," Kairi said earnestly. "Because we care about you, Sora. We _all _do. If any one of us were in your place, wouldn't you do the same for us?"

"Of _course _I would!" Sora exclaimed without a moment's hesitation.

"And _that's _why we're doing all this for you," she offered him a bittersweet smile. "Sora, you do _so _much for other people. You _care _so much about nearly everyone you meet. So… maybe it's time for you to start caring a little more about _yourself _too…"

"W-well, maybe that would be easier for me to do if I stopped making so many _mistakes _all the time!" he snapped, largely without thinking.

"Mistakes?" she placed a hand against the side of his chair as she looked to him, concerned. "L-like what?"

"Well, like falling for a dumb trap and failing my Mark of Mastery exam for starters," he began, going down the lengthy list he'd been keeping mental tabs on for quite some time now. "Then I just _lost _one of the thirteen Keys to _Kingdom Hearts _of _all _things, to a member of the Organization that wants to take it over and destroy _everything_! Then I _agreed _to let myself be captured and chained up and _poisoned _and the entire time the Organization could just be out there getting even _more _of those Keys and I can't even do _anything _to stop them! And that's all on top of losing my strength not just once but _twice _in a row, only now it's even worse because not only can I not even fight, I can't even _walk_! A-and…" A small, harsh sob escaped him, the weight of his multiple mistakes weighing heavy on his heart, especially the worst of those mistakes, one that he couldn't even bear to voice aloud. "And I just keep on making all these _stupid _mistakes over and over again when everyone's counting on me! I-I feel like I'm _failing _everyone who needs me… A-and that's exactly why I _don't _deserve this... "

Tears were brimming in his eyes as he shakily held the cupcake out to her, silently begging her to take it away from him. And not just that, but the kindness and compassion that her and all the others had shown him right along with it, all in the belief that he had done nothing to earn it. That he should have been cast out and hated in place of being cared for and comforted. And at that moment, Kairi had never wanted to prove him wrong more than she did now.

"No…" she gently pushed the cupcake back to him. "It's exactly why you _do _deserve it_…_" He stilled, looking to her in genuine disbelief, but still she continued. "Sora… I wish you would see yourself the way everyone else does… Because if you did, then you wouldn't see any of those mistakes. You'd see all of the good you've done, all of the worlds you've saved, and all of the people you've helped. And I should know; after all… I am one of those people…"

"B-but I put you in _so _much danger!" Sora protested tightly. "All of you! You should have _never _gone to rescue me! You should have just-"

"Should have _what_? Left you there with Maleficent?" Kairi asked, tensing up at the very thought. "I don't think so. I can't speak for the others, Sora, but for me? Finding out that you'd been captured, that you were being _tortured_… was one of the worst things I've ever had to go through."

"A-and you shouldn't have _had _to go through that!" Sora countered, still immensely distraught. "You shouldn't have to worry about me because I should be stronger than this! I _need _to be stronger than this, b-because if I'm not then… what good am I to anyone…?"

His last statement was so quiet she'd barely heard it, but it still managed to practically break her heart all the same. Because it was at that moment that she finally realized exactly what his problem was: he had so much love in his heart to give to others, he always had, but he never bothered to spare any of that love for himself. Which was why, in place of what his own heart couldn't give him, she decided she would give him some of hers instead.

"You're enough…" she whispered to him as she knelt down in front of his chair and took his hands in her own. "You've always _been _enough…" She could feel the warmth of tears starting to build up in her own eyes now but still she didn't stop; she couldn't stop. Because he needed this, more than he really knew. "C-can I tell you something? W-when I first started my training, I felt like it was... a lot to take in. Everyone expected _so _much out of me when I-I'd barely even used my Keyblade before. It's been getting easier but, still, there's sometimes where I worry… What if I'm good enough? I mean, stacked up against you and Riku and even Axel, I… I can't help but feel like I'm the weakest link of the bunch, you know?"

"K-Kairi, what are you talking about?" Sora asked, immediately placing all of his worries with her and essentially forgetting about himself in the process. "You're not a weak link at all! Once your training's done, I know you'll do great!"

"See?" she couldn't help but smile softly as she squeezed his hands a bit. "There you go again. You always know how to help everyone else feel better, but… all this time, you've just been… _miserable _on the inside, haven't you?" He said nothing, instead looking away from her morosely as she went on. "But now I think I finally understand why. I thought I was under a lot of pressure, but you, Sora? You literally have the weight of _hundreds _of worlds resting on your shoulders! And it's _not _fair that you have to carry that weight all on your own. Especially since… you don't _have _to…"

"Yes, I do…" he sighed, closing his eyes solemnly. "Because if I don't, then who will?"

"_I _will," she answered immediately. "Riku will. Donald and Goofy will. Leon, Aerith, Yuffie, and Cid will. Axel will, the king will, Master Merlin and Master Yen Sid will. _So _many people will and _can _help you, Sora. We all _want _to help you carry that weight. All you need to do is ask."

He took in a deep, unsteady breath at this as he stared past her toward the rich blue sky above. "I-I… I'm not good at asking…"

"I know. That's why I've already made up my mind that I'm going to help you anyway, even if you don't ask. And you know..." She smiled, slipping her hands out of his as she placed the cupcake back into them. "Even if you are technically a 'man' now, I still don't see any reason for you to waste a perfectly good birthday cake, now do you?"

A small, yet genuine laugh escaped him at this as he accepted the fork she offered him. And with it, the help that she was so ready to freely give him in both this moment and beyond it. "I can't say that I do," he said just as he blew the cupcake's nearly burnt-down candle out.

"Did you wish for anything?" she asked him curiously.

"Yeah…" he said happily, his gaze resting solely on her as he finally wiped the last of his tears away. "It already came true."

* * *

The sun was just starting to set over the forest by the time they left it. The rest of their conversation as the day slowly passed by had fortunately been much more lighthearted than how it had started out (though the cupcake they ended up splitting did contribute to raising their spirits quite a bit). And yet, they were soon met with an even more festive mood when they returned to Merlin's house, only to arrive to find everyone eagerly waiting for them with a surprise of their own in mind.

"Happy birthday, Sora!" everyone exclaimed in bright unison the moment they spotted the pair emerging from the portal Kairi had made.

For his part, Sora was even more caught off guard by this surprise than he had been with Kairi's, especially when he noticed the extent of it. They'd decorated the entire house with countless colorful streamers and balloons, and had even gone as far as to collaborate on a sizable cake, one that was, sure enough, topped with 16 candles exactly. "Whoa! You guys did all this for me?" he asked, genuinely touched by their impressive efforts. "How'd you even know it was my birthday in the first place?"

"Kairi told us," Aerith informed with a warm smile.

"Oh, really…?" Sora glanced back at her with a knowing smirk.

"W-well, _someone _had to," Kairi huffed, pushing his chair forward a bit. "It's not like _you _would have seeing as how you didn't even _remember _what today was to begin with."

"You forgot your birthday, Sora?" Goofy asked with a small chuckle.

"Why isn't _that _surprising?" Donald added, crossing his arms.

"H-hey! I didn't forget it!" Sora countered, flustered. "I just-"

"Like I said, you just didn't remember it," Kairi cut in with a wry smile. "Which is exactly the same thing as forgetting it, but don't worry. None of us will fault you for it."

"Yeah, especially not when _cake's _on the line!" Yuffie quipped with a spirited wink.

"Yeah, cake _you _didn't even help the rest of us make," Axel pointed out, raising a critical eyebrow at her.

"Aw, cut me some slack; cooking is _not _my strong suit."

"_Clearly_."

"Would you two cut that out?" Cid scowled, annoyed as he came to stand between them. "I'm sure the _last _thing the poor kid wants to hear on his special day is you two runnin' your traps at each other!"

"I know _I _don't," Leon agreed dryly.

This elicited a small chuckle out of Aerith, one that both Sora and Kairi quickly joined in on until soon enough, the entire room had erupted into bright, genuine laughter. And even once that laughter had died down, the party had only just begun. Given how many of them were on hand, it wasn't a particularly large get-together, but it certainly was an enjoyable one, filled with talking, laughter, and of course, cake. They kept it going late on into the night, until all of them were tired yet content with the time they'd spend together as they all fondly parted ways to head to bed. As she usually did, Kairi stayed with Sora, though as she climbed into bed alongside him, she couldn't help but notice the almost glowing smile he fell asleep with. It didn't take much thought to figure out where that smile was coming from either. After all, he'd told her as much earlier that very evening and when he did, she could tell just how much he had really needed something like this to begin with.

Because for the first time in a very long time, he'd been given a chance to feel less like the savior of the worlds he was expected to be, and more like the normal now-16 year old he really was. And for the first time in a long time, he'd been given a chance to let the weight of the worlds he'd forced himself to carry just wait, if only for a little while.

* * *

As restless as he still very much was, it wasn't long before Sora started insisting on trying walking out again, albeit this time with supervision and assistance. The others were largely hesitant on allowing it for a number of reasons, mainly the poison, which still lingered if the coloration of the veins in his legs was anything to go off of. It was only when he was on the verge of begging for a chance that Aerith and Yuffie ended up being the first to cave and agree to let him try.

With a little help from Cid, the girls managed to set up a pair of rails for Sora to hold himself steady, something that admittedly excited him the moment they brought them into his room. Likewise, when they caught wind of what was going on, Donald and Goofy eagerly wanted to take part in doing whatever they could to help, especially since they knew just how much Sora had been wanting to walk in particular. After all, as he reasoned, walking would lead to running, which would lead to summoning his Keyblade, which would lead to fighting, which would lead to their search for the rest of the Keys kicking up right where they had left off. Certainly a much more optimistic outlook than the rather hopeless one he'd had only a little under a week ago, one that his companions were more than ready to see come to fruition.

So the rudimentary rounds of walking practice began, taking up a few hours each day as Sora would cling onto the rails for dear life as he tried to take even the smallest of steps amidst sharp, searing pain. Aerith and Yuffie supervised these sessions while Donald and Goofy attended just about every one of them, standing on the sidelines to cheer him on and offer him any support he might need. Today's session was particularly important, however, as Sora was determined to finally stand entirely on his own, without relying on anything to prop him up. Walking along the length of the rails had been simple-if not somewhat agonizing-enough, but when he reached their end he stopped short to physically and mentally prepare himself for the moment in which he'd finally let go.

"Remember to take it slow," Aerith advised as she and Yuffie stood by alongside Donald and Goofy. "If it's too much for you today, then don't worry; you can always try again tomorrow."

"N-no," Sora countered breathlessly. His arms were trembling as he gripped the rails on either side of him tightly, both from the strain and from nerves but still, he didn't back down, knowing that this was a challenge he'd much rather face sooner than later. "I-I need to do this…"

"Not if it makes you feel even worse, you don't," Yuffie reminded with a concerned frown.

Sora didn't reply to this as he instead put all his focus into grounding himself as much as he possibly could. Once he felt his footing was stable enough, he essentially forced himself into enough of a state of calm that he largely felt ready to try lifting his hands away from the rails. He did so slowly, easing his grip as he shifted his sense of support to his legs instead. In the first few seconds, he swayed slightly, his legs weak and aching immensely thanks to the last remnants of poison within them. It was enough to nearly make him catch himself on the rails once again but he ultimately refused to, knowing that he had to weather this, no matter how difficult it might be.

And, for a single, solitary moment, that's exactly what he did. Because there he was, _standing_, on his own two legs with nothing else to support him for the first time in weeks. And yet… it was only for a moment. Because as soon as that moment had passed, a rush of pain, so intense and unbearable, sped its way through him. A burst of pain that was all too similar to what he'd been forced to endure when the poison had first been forced into him, a moment he couldn't even stand to think about with how awful and agonizing and _terrifying _it had been. In fact, the mere memory of it alone was enough to knock him off his feet entirely as he collapsed to the ground with an anguished cry.

"Sora!" Donald and Goofy rushed to him, both of them immensely worried as their young companion remained lying still on the ground before them.

Even so, Sora hardly paid either of them any mind as he instead let out a small, defeated sigh instead. "I can't do this…" he muttered, not bothering to pick himself up even though he easily could.

"What are ya talking about?" Goofy asked incredulously, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Of course you can! You can't give up now, not when you've already gotten so much better!"

"Besides," Donald added just as supportively. "You've done things that are _much _harder than just standing up on your own."

"Yeah, but I did all that stuff while I _wasn't _poisoned!" Sora snapped, finally sitting up to reveal his distraught expression. "All I want to do is just get up and _walk _again so things can finally go back to the way they used to be, b-but I _can't_ even do that, no matter how hard I try! I-it… it's _impossible_…"

The pair exchanged a fretful glance as their young companion looked away from them dejectedly, though if there was one thing they both agreed on, it was that they had no intentions of letting him drown in his own self-doubts for too long. "Well then," Donald began, his tone surprisingly casual. "It's a good thing this is _you _we're talking here, Sora. We see you do the impossible just about every other day. For better or worse…"

"What Donald's _tryin _to say," Goofy interjected much more warmly. "Is that we believe in you, Sora. No matter how hard it might be or how long it'll take, we're gonna be here to help you get through this, and even after that!"

As Donald nodded his unwavering agreement to this, Sora simply looked between the pair in sheer astonishment. Because sure enough, this was a vow they'd already kept, ever since any of this had begun. They'd found him, brought him back, and had indeed stayed by his side through all of this, even when they really had no obligation to. And if nothing else, then the depths of their loyalty and friendship alone was enough to encourage and inspire Sora when he admittedly needed it most. "...Just like always, huh?" he asked, finally offering the pair a small, but genuine smile.

"Just like always," Donald agreed as him and Goofy extended their hands out to help him up. Sora easily accepted their offer, leaning against both of them for support as they helped him stand once more.

And they continued to help him in the hours that followed, until finally he felt ready to try to stand on his own again. It was an unsteady effort, and all the while the pair remained close by to catch him if he fell yet this time, miraculously, he _didn't_. True, the poison still plagued him to the point that he couldn't stay on his feet for very long, but it was still a milestone all the same, one they all made sure to happily celebrate as soon as it happened. Because as the days went by, standing soon turned into steps, and steps soon turned into walking without any sort of assistance at all.

* * *

By all accounts, the poison seemed to have finally faded away entirely, any physical traces of it that had once marred his skin disappearing right along with it. Still, for as eager as Sora was to get back to searching for the Keys, all of the others agreed that he still had a ways to go when it came to fully regaining his strength. Kairi in particular made it quite clear that he still didn't have her permission to leave until she believed his capacity to hold his own in a fight again was up to par at the very least. And though he initially protested the idea of having to wait another week, Sora ultimately had no choice but to comply.

Still, that hardly meant that time was spent idly. For in the first few days after he'd gotten used to talking again, Sora had taken to spending as much time as he could up and out of bed, taking short walks around the house and helping the others with their usual chores and routines the best he could. Still, it was clear that even though the poison was largely gone, it had still sapped away a great deal of his energy when it had run its course through him. Because even those short walks and simple tasks tended to easily tire him out, and likewise, despite his best efforts, summoning his Keyblade and making it stay for more than mere seconds at a time was a feat he'd yet to truly accomplish since he'd been out. Even so, the others did what they could to help him build his lost strength back up, though everyone could agree that Kairi had been the one to come up with the best idea to do just that by far.

Springtime had finally arrived in Radiant Garden in full force, and with it came a wave of warm, pleasant weather. Given how much their trip to the secret forest had reinvigorated Sora before, Kairi had a hunch that even more fresh air would do wonders for him, which was why she'd started inviting him on walks around town. Though Sora was all for the idea as soon as she'd pitched it to him, a few of the others, namely Leon and Cid, were much more hesitant, believing that Maleficent could still be waiting in the wings somewhere, intent on capturing her lost "pet" all over again. Yet Kairi assured them that she'd be ready and willing to do whatever she had to to protect Sora if push came to shove, and given all of the great lengths she'd already gone through for him over the past several weeks alone, they were all inclined to believe her.

So the pair started going on their daily walks, most of them relatively short-just around the nearest block or so-though enjoyable for both of them all the same. Every now and then some of the others, usually Axel or Donald and Goofy, would join them, but they had most of their casual strolls to themselves to enjoy the sights of the shining city together. During these walks, their conversations were usually kept casual, though on today's outing in particular, Kairi found that there was one topic she could no longer keep silent about, though not for a lack of trying for the past several weeks on end.

"Can I ask you something?" she suddenly spoke up, interrupting Sora as he recounted his time at Paradise Falls to her once more.

"Oh, uh, sure," he glanced over at her with a smile. "What's up?"

She hesitated, knowing that even bringing this up would only bring him unwanted feelings and memories, and yet she knew she had to anyway. She _had _to know the truth for once. "...Exactly how long have you been lying to me and Riku?" she asked softly, not meeting his gaze.

Sora immediately stopped short, his eyes wide and his heart suddenly racing as he watched Kairi take a few more steps forward. A familiar kind of panic swelled up in him as he frantically wondered just how much she knew, how she'd found out in the first place. And worst of all, if she knew the one thing he couldn't bear to let anyone else find out, to the point that he'd done all he could to tuck that single white lock of hair out of sight and hope against hope that the gold stains in his eyes would eventually disappear just as the green ones already had. "L-lying about what?" he asked, trying to play things as cool as possible. Even as his thoughts were practically surging with fear and dread over what might happen if she _did _know the truth.

Kairi sighed, closing her eyes thoughtfully. "I know about the scar," she began. "And the cracks in your Keyblade. Donald and Goofy told us about them."

"...Of _course _they did…" Sora groaned, still wishing that neither of them knew about such things even long after those secrets had been forced out into the open.

"A-and… I also saw… w-we _all _saw what happened to you at the castle," her tone turned anxious as she recalled how he'd looked, how he'd acted, so _unlike _the Sora who was standing before her now. "Sora, you… every part of you, your body, your heart… it was all covered by so much _darkness. _It was like there was barely even a trace of you left. Y-you looked just like… like a _Heartless_…"

"A Heartless…" he repeated in a whisper, his dread practically peaking as he realized what she was talking about. And how she'd even gotten a chance to see him like that in the first place. "H-her plan actually _worked_…"

"...Maleficent, you mean?" Kairi ventured worriedly.

Sora nodded, his entire manner tense as he weakly leaned against the wall they had been walking near for support. "S-she wanted to turn me into… i-into that… _monster_," he shuddered, knowing there was no other word to describe what he was like whenever his own darkness overtook him. "A-and use her magic to take control of me s-so she could _use _me to take over worlds for her a-and she _did_! All because I wasn't strong enough to fight back!" He stopped, glancing up to Kairi just as distraught tears began to appear in his eyes. "P-please," he begged as she took a small step closer to him. "_Please _tell me I didn't hurt any of you when I was… l-like that…"

"Y-you didn't," she lied, knowing that the truth would do nothing for him now. "D-do you remember anything that happened when you were…?"

"N-no," he glanced down, wiping his tears away before they could fall. "I never do. W-when I'm like that, I… I never know what's happening a-and I don't have control of _anything_. It's like I just… disappear…"

Kairi faltered upon hearing this, a part of her starting to understand why he'd kept this part of himself secret for so long. Because certainly, undergoing such a horrific transformation and losing practically all sense of self had to be more of a dreadful burden than anyone could hope to bear, to the point that she wondered how he'd even managed to do it for so long to begin with. "H-how long has this been happening to you?"

"I don't know, for a while now, I guess?" he shrugged with an exhausted sigh. "I don't know why it happens or what causes it, o-or how to stop it. As much as I wish I could…"

"...Then why didn't you tell either of us about this?" Kairi pressed once more. "Maybe we could help you-"

"Because I didn't want either of you to see me like that," Sora quickly cut her off. "_Ever_. Especially if there's a chance I could hurt you without even knowing it…"

"Sora…" Kairi frowned, reaching a hand out to gently touch his shoulder. A hand she quickly retracted when she realized she didn't know what else to say along with it.

"And besides," he continued, letting out something of an aggravated scoff. "You finding out is one thing, but if _Riku _found out, I know just what he'd say: 'Oh, Sora, you _know _better than to hide things like this from me! How could you be so reckless? I need to be the _first _to know if _anything _goes wrong so I can be the one to rush in to save you _again_'."

"Sora, you _know _Riku wouldn't say any of that if he knew!" Kairi scolded firmly.

"Then clearly you haven't talked to him lately," Sora scowled bitterly. "'Cause ever since he became a Keyblade Master, suddenly he thinks he knows _everything_. Including what he _thinks _is best for me…"

Kairi was more than ready to protest such a worrisome line of thinking, yet before she could, their entire conversation was interrupted by the abrupt ringing coming from Sora's pocket. And when he pulled the Gummiphone out, he was met with a call that was, by all accounts, incredibly ironic. "I-it's Riku!" he exclaimed, suddenly panicked given the circumstances. "I haven't talked to him since any of this happened, I don't even know-" He paused, glancing over at Kairi, who was every bit as startled as the phone continued to brightly ring. "H-here!" he suddenly pushed the device into her hands. "You talk to him!"

"W-what?" she exclaimed, alarmed as she looked down at the phone. "Sora, what am I even supposed to tell him?"

"J-just come up with something!" he urged anxiously. "But please, _don't _tell him anything about what happened with Maleficent or why I'm really here. He'd totally freak out if he knew!"

Kairi let out a frustrated scoff at this, shaking her head at such a dishonest plan, though when Sora desperately implored her once again, she finally complied and answered the phone. "R-Riku!" she greeted with an awkward wave when he showed up on screen. "W-what a surprise! How have you been?"

"_Wait, Kairi?" _Riku leaned forward in his seat aboard his and Mickey's Gummi Ship, frowning in confusion. _"What's going on? Why do you have Sora's phone?"_

"Good question…" Kairi grumbled, scowling over at Sora.

"_Is he there with you?" _Riku asked, raising a curious eyebrow.

"Uh y-yeah, he is," Kairi replied, even despite Sora silently advising her against it.

"_Can I talk to him? Please?" _

Kairi paused, still looking to Sora rather than Riku, watching as he anxiously shook his head against the very idea. She met his resistance with a stern glare, annoyed that he had even put her in this position in the first place as she decided to turn the tables on him. "Yes, you can," she said succinctly, handing the phone over to him.

Sora let out a defeated sigh at this, returning the same scowl Kairi was sending his way as he begrudgingly took the phone back. "Um, h-hi, Riku," he said with a tight, forced smile. "H-how's it going?"

"_Sora!" _Riku exclaimed adamantly, angrily almost. _"I haven't heard from you in _weeks_! Where have you been? Why are you in Radiant Garden?"_

"I, uh… I-I'm here looking for a Key, duh," Sora quickly lied, fully knowing that there wasn't any trace of a single Key in this world whatsoever. All the while, he ignored the disapproving look Kairi sent his way as he completely went against her advice to be honest with him, with _both _of them.

"_Really?" _Riku asked, skeptical. _"Have you found anything yet?"_

"Um, n-no, not yet," Sora shrugged, trying his best not to come across as nervous. "B-but that's why Kairi's here to help me look, right?"

He held the phone out to bring her into the frame, even as she mouthed her plea to him to not drag her into this ridiculous charade any more than he already had. Yet for some reason or another, she haphazardly decided to go along with it anyway. "Y-yeah, that's right," she nodded with a fake, cheery grin. "We've… just been looking all over for that Key! I-I'm sure we'll find it soon…"

"I'm sure we will!" Sora reiterated much more enthusiastically. "Which is why we should probably get back to looking for it. Thanks for checking in, Riku. Talk to you later, bye!"

"_Wait!" _Riku interjected just before Sora could hastily hang up. _"Before you go, do you mind telling me why you haven't even bothered to answer my calls for over a _month _now?"_

"I-I've been busy," Sora said succinctly. "These Keys aren't out there finding themselves, you know."

"_Ok, so if you've been _that _busy how many have you found?""_

"...T-three…" he replied rather sheepishly. "Well, technically four, if you count the one the Organization has..."

"_What?" _Riku's tone turned incredulous as he heard Sora's last muttered statement. _"You let the Organization get away with one of the Keys? To Kingdom Hearts?!"_

"Hey, I didn't just _let _them get away with it!" Sora argued petulantly. "Besides, we're, uh… we're working on getting it back. And as far as I know, they haven't gotten any of the others yet, so there's not _that _much to worry about, right?"

Riku was silent for a moment or two, offering Sora a dubious look as he maintained a wide, largely false, reassuring grin all the while. Kairi looked between the two anxiously, her worries lying with Sora and all of the secrets he still insisted on keeping from Riku, who, as far as she was concerned, had every right to know about them as much as she did. Yet she still didn't betray his trust, even if nearly every part of her was screaming at her to.

"_Fine," _Riku finally let out a tired sigh. _"But, Sora, you really shouldn't be interrupting Kairi during her training. She has a lot of important work to do, just like you do."_

"Oh, i-it's fine, Riku," Kairi assured with a small smile. "It's really no trouble, and besides, I'm glad to help in any way I can."

"Yeah, see?" Sora added. "Everything's fine. Like I keep _trying _to tell you."

"_It'd be better if you actually made more of an effort to stay in touch," _Riku frowned, his tone no longer angry, but rather earnest instead. _"I know you're busy, Sora, and so am I, but you going off the map like you did for weeks on end only makes me think the worst might have happened. It… it makes me _worry_."_

"Something you do _way _too much of," Sora let out an irritated huff. "I already told you, I _don't _need you to babysit me…"

"_I know you don't," _Riku admitted with a thoughtful smile. _"And I know you've got finding the Keys and dealing with the Organization covered, but… that doesn't mean we can't still care about what happens to you. Right, Kairi?"_

"Right," Kairi readily agreed, offering Sora a warm smile that was finally enough to placate him. For now, at least.

"...Right," he finally nodded, satisfying Riku and Kairi alike.

"_Well, I guess I'll let you two get back to looking for that Key," _Riku said, putting on something of a coy, knowing grin. _"Try not to have _too _much fun without me."_

"R-Riku!" Kairi blushed as Sora quickly glanced away, flustered.

For his part, Riku let out a small laugh as he finally bid the pair a fond farewell. _"Stay safe, both of you. And remember, Sora, if anything goes wrong-"_

"Then you need to be the first to know, yeah, yeah, I remember…" Sora huffed, rolling his eyes. "As if you'd let me forget…"

"_Well, _someone _has to remind you between all the calls you missed…" _Riku said in faux exasperation. _"Kairi, keep an eye on him for me, will you?"_

"Always," Kairi smirked, elbowing Sora playfully.

"_Thanks," _Riku said as he sighed off. _"Talk to you guys later."_

"Bye, Riku!" Kairi replied brightly as the call ended, though Sora hardly did the same. Instead, he still wore a sullen scowl as he put his phone away, one that persisted even as she looked to him, concerned. "Sora?"

"See what I mean?" he crossed his arms sourly. "He's _always _on my case anymore! What's worse is he didn't used to act like this before the exam. It's just so… so _suffocating_!"

"Sora, you heard him yourself," Kairi said earnestly. "He's just worried about you."

"I know he is," Sora admitted with a sigh. "But it's like he thinks I can't even take care of myself! I don't need him calling me every five minutes just to see if I'm still on track. And I _definitely _don't need him finding out about what happened a few weeks ago. He'd never let me out of his sight again if he found out I was captured by _Maleficent, _of all people."

"He's not _that _overbearing," Kairi pointed out, hands on her hips. "And I really think you _should _tell him what happened. Honestly, we should have told him about it from the very start. He deserves to know."

"Well, if you think he should know, why didn't _you_ tell him?"

"Because this isn't about me, Sora," Kairi sighed. "It's about you; which means you _should_ be the one to tell him the truth."

"And what? Distract him from his own mission?" Sora countered. "The last thing we need is somebody _else _getting derailed from what they need to do like me, Donald, and Goofy already have been."

"Fine," Kairi relented, deciding to meet him halfway. "Then you can wait until Riku and the king find Master Aqua. But after they do, you _have _to tell him what happened, Sora. For me, and for yourself."

Sora hesitated at this, the very thought of cueing Riku in on such a series of alarming events making him immensely anxious in ways he couldn't quite place. Though the one way he could place was the growing fear that the revelation of this one truth would lead to the reveal of more, even worse truths. Including one he didn't want _anyone _knowing, a truth he didn't even want to believe himself. "O-ok," he relented, though really only for the secrets that Kairi herself openly knew. "I… I'll tell him."

Kairi smiled at this, allayed as she began pressing on to continue their walk. "Good. And if you need any help filling him in on this, then you can count on me."

"Yeah, well if he yells at me for being 'reckless' or 'irresponsible' then I'm blaming you," Sora teased, stepping forward to catch up with her.

She laughed at this, all the while looking forward to the day when everything could finally be freely out in the open between the three of them once more. When they could all be truly honest with each other, just as they had always been before. "Fair enough."

* * *

With his mobility more or less completely restored, the last obstacle Sora knew he had to overcome came down to his Keyblade. Summoning it alone often took him quite a bit of doing, along with a great amount of intense focus to make it stay. But even after he'd mostly gotten to the point where he could largely call upon it consistently, he was still rather out of practice with the weapon, as well as with combat as a whole. That was where both Leon and Axel stepped in to help. Given the fact that they both had plenty of experience in a fight just as Sora himself had, they both made for ideal sparring partners for him to practice resharpening and re-honing his skills on. Even if he was somewhat frustrated by how basic that practice began

Because instead of letting him get back to his usual advanced moveset, Leon insisted upon Sora starting out with slow, simple swings instead. The thoroughfare outside of Merlin's house echoed with the dull clang of Sora's Keyblade bouncing off Leon's Gunblade at a sluggish, yet rhythmic pace. They'd been at it for about an hour now, and every time Sora so much as tried to pick things up a little, Leon was quick to advise him against it. All the while, Axel stood by, observing on the sidelines, but even from there, he could see just how bored and annoyed Sora was getting by the largely tiresome process.

"Ease up a bit," Leon said as he lightly pushed the Keyblade away from his own weapon. "You shouldn't be focusing on hitting hard; just focus on landing your hits in general."

"Isn't hitting hard sort of the point?" Sora huffed, irritated.

"Not right now, it isn't," Leon disagreed. "You needed to get up and walk again before you could start running, right? Same principle applies to fighting."

"I guess…" Sora frowned as he slung his Keyblade over his shoulder. "But do we have to be so _slow _about it?"

"For now, we do," Leon countered evenly. "You haven't used your Keyblade in weeks. You need to get a feel for how to handle it again before you can really get back into the swing of things."

"Heh, _swing _of things," Axel spoke up with a small chuckle. "Nice one."

"Nice what?" Leon raised an eyebrow, not getting his own unintentional pun.

The bout of somewhat awkward silence that followed as soon broken as Yuffie poked her head out of the house's window out of the blue. "Leeeeeon! Can you get in here for a sec? Cid says he needs your help with something."

Leon nodded as he put his Gunblade away, though he briefly turned back to Sora before he left. "I'll be right back. Don't pull any stunts while I'm gone."

"No promises…" Sora muttered to himself.

"What was that?"

"Uh, I-I mean, yeah, I promise!" he quickly corrected himself, offering Leon a wide smile and a thumb's up.

Leon eyed him dubiously for a moment before ultimately turning to go back into the house. As soon as he was gone, however, Sora let out a loud, frustrated sigh as he completely went against his orders, swinging his Keyblade out as wide and fast as he could several times over, despite the somewhat painful strain it caused him.

"Whoa, you might wanna slow down there," Axel noted, still leaning against the house. "If Leon catches you doing that, he'll throw a fit. Or at the very least, give you a stern talking-to, and I'm not too fond of the idea of having to listen to either."

"Ugh, I can't help it!" Sora groaned, exasperated. "All of this 'taking it slow' stuff is driving me _crazy_! I just wanna get back to fighting like I used to again. This might sound kind of weird, but… I _really _miss it."

"Hm," Axel couldn't help but smirk at this. "Well, if you want a _real _challenge for a change, I might be willing to give you one where Leon won't…"

"Really?!" Sora perked up, immediately excited by the prospect.

"Sure, why not? It's been a while since I've had any real practice myself since the old man's been away," Axel shrugged, summoning his fiery Keyblade. "Don't worry though; I'll make sure to go easy on you."

"More like _I'll _go easy on _you_," Sora countered as he eagerly took up a fighting stance. "You're the one who's still learning the ropes, remember?"

"And you're relearning them," Axel reminded. "So I'd say that makes for a pretty even match."

"We'll see about that," Sora grinned before he rushed in to take the first strike. Axel managed to parry it smoothly, making sure to not knock him back too roughly. Still, he was much more proactive in actually letting Sora practice his moves however he pleased than Leon had been, which was certainly liberating to say the least. With each successful swing he landed, Sora felt an undeniable burst of exhilaration, the kind he hadn't experienced in quite some time now. This was his element, one that filled him with a sense of strength that he had longed for since the moment it had been so forcefully ripped away from him in the first place. And even if that strength had yet to be fully restored, the traces of it he still did possess was still something that he relished all the same.

"I gotta say," Axel noted as their Keyblades collided once more. "This is honestly kind of familiar."

"Familiar?" Sora raised a confused eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Ah, that's right," Axel winced, realizing that he certainly wouldn't remember the first and only time they'd really squared off before now. "Er, n-nevermind. Instead of thinking about that, ya might wanna consider covering that opening you have there."

"Wait, opening?" Sora quickly glanced to his side, only for Axel to end up catching him off guard completely by striking at him with the dull side of his Keyblade. Unable to react fast enough to block it, the blow pushed him back, causing him to lose his footing as he tumbled to the ground, his Keyblade falling out of his grip and disappearing as he did.

"Not too shabby for a beginner, huh?" Axel asked with a proud smirk. That smile quickly disappeared, however, when he noticed Sora, still on the ground as he nursed his now sore side with a disappointed scowl. "Hey… you ok?" he asked with genuine concern as he extended a hand out to help him up.

Sora only answered with a terse nod as he accepted Axel's help. For his part, however, Axel could easily tell he was far from satisfied with how their short duel had gone if his annoyed pout was anything to go off of. "You don't have to push yourself so hard, you know," he remarked earnestly. "You'll get the hang of it again eventually."

"Yeah, _eventually_," Sora scoffed, crossing his arms. "That's the part that bothers me."

"Well, it shouldn't," Axel said, his slight smile finally returning as he let out a small, somewhat bittersweet chuckle. "You know who else always wanted to fast track everything?"

"No, who?"

"Roxas," Axel's smile widened somewhat as it took on a nostalgic air. "The kid was always pushing himself way harder than he should have too. Now I guess I can see where he got it from."

At this fond mention of his Nobody, Sora completely put aside his former disappointment for something far more sincere instead. "I-I… I've been seeing Roxas in my dreams, actually," he began, making sure not to reveal too many details about said dreams.

"Really?" Axel perked up at this, intrigued.

"Yeah, he… I-I promised him that I'm gonna find some way to get him out of my heart," Sora said, remembering that vow, as well as the vow Roxas had made to him along with it. "And I mean it. He deserves to be his own person again and I'm not gonna stop until he is. No matter what it takes."

Axel paused at this, unsure of how to express his genuine gratitude for such a noble ambition. Other than, of course, by deciding to take it up for himself too. "Well, if you're that set on getting him back, then I know he'd never let me hear the end of it if I didn't help you out at least a little," he said with a small, yet genuine grin. "So if you ever need anything when it comes to helping him out, just let me know. 'Cause believe me, I'm ready to do whatever it takes just as much as you are."

"Thanks," Sora nodded warmly. "I appreciate it, and I know Roxas does too. And don't worry; we'll figure out some way to help him. I know it."

"So do I," Axel agreed before clearing his throat to lighten the mood. "So, you wanna go another round before Leon comes back out here to ruin all the fun?"

"Too late," Leon spoke up as he stepped out of the house, wearing a slight disapproving scowl as he did. "I spotted the tail end of your little 'spar'. What did I say about pulling any stunts while I was gone?"

"Hey, don't look at me," Sora said defensively. "_Axel's _the one who suggested it."

"Wha-hey!" Axel exclaimed hotly as something of a brief, playful chase ensued between the two. Leon stood by, initially disinterested as he watched their antics, before he ultimately folded into a small, bemused grin.

"Well," he said, chuckling softly to himself. "Guess that marks the end of practice for today."

* * *

It was a question Kairi had been dreading for weeks now, one that she knew she'd have to give a definitive answer to eventually. And she realized, as Sora posed it to her at the end of their latest walk, that answer would finally have to come today.

"Do I think you're ready to leave…?" she repeated the question, her heart sinking even as she did. "I-I don't know… Do _you _feel like you are?"

"Well… yeah," he shrugged. "The poison's all gone and Keyblade practice has been going great! I know I still have a ways to go when it comes to getting _all _my strength, but I feel like the best way to do that now is to just… get back out there for myself, you know?"

Kairi sighed, looking away from him fretfully upon hearing this. She couldn't deny that he was right, his condition was much better than it had been nearly a month ago now. And yet, she still had a whole host of reservations about the idea of letting him go, even if she knew he ultimately had to for the greater good. "B-but what if something happens?" she asked anxiously. "I… I just don't want to see you get hurt again…"

"Don't worry," Sora assured evenly. "I've already talked everything over with Donald and Goofy. I'm going to be more careful, just like you want me to be, a-and if anything _does _go wrong, then we'll make sure to keep you in the loop. You do have a Gummiphone of your own, right?"

"Yeah, I-I do, but…" she faltered, unsure of how to voice the other half of her hesitation. "Sora, I-"

"Kairi, I told you I wasn't going to leave until you said I could," he interrupted, seeming to understand exactly how she was feeling. "And even if I… _really _didn't like it at first, I stayed, just like you said. So… if you still think I should stay, then… that's exactly what I'll do."

She shook her head sadly at this, knowing that her reasons for making him stay now would have been far more selfish than they had been weeks ago. "N-no…" she relented softly, admitting the truth to both him and to herself. "You… you can't stay… After all… those Keys aren't going to find themselves, are they?"

"No, they aren't," he said with a smile so bright it almost shined like the sun. A smile that made her heart ache with longing she shouldn't have even felt in the first place. Longing for him to stay right by her side even when she knew he couldn't. "I guess this means I should go tell Donald and Goofy to get ready to head out tomorrow morning. Thanks again, Kairi!"

"Y-yeah…" she said with a fake, almost sorrowful smile as he hurried back inside the house. All the while cherishing every single, now-fleeting second she had left with him now that she was finally letting him go. "You're welcome…"

* * *

The next morning saw everyone waking up bright and early so they could see Sora, Donald, and Goofy off before they left. They all gathered outside of Merlin's house in an atmosphere that was bittersweet, to say the least, especially after the past month they'd all spent together. Still, if there was one thing they could all agree on, it was that they were all overjoyed to see the full, miraculous recovery Sora had made in a surprisingly short amount of time. Almost just as overjoyed as Sora himself was to finally be getting back out into the worlds once again.

"Looks like you fellas are leaving town just in time," Yuffie noted with a smirk. "Today's the day Merlin's supposed to be getting back from his own world."

"Good," Axel said, allayed as he crossed his arms. "That means he won't find out about that 'forbidden' rescue mission we went on a few weeks ago which means he can't get on our case about it."

"Well, just as long as none of us tell him about it," Cid noted.

"Which we won't," Aerith chuckled. "We already promised not to, remember?"

"You're sure you're ready to leave?" Leon asked Sora. "Because if not-"

"No, I am," Sora assured with a bright smile. "And I owe that to all of you. Seriously, I don't think I can thank any of you enough for-"

"You don't need to thank us," Aerith interjected with a kind smile. "We were happy to help."

"Now, you two make sure to keep him outta trouble, ya hear?" Cid said to Donald and Goofy.

"You bet we will!" Goofy readily agreed with a solid salute.

"Even if getting into trouble is _basically _a hobby for him…" Donald remarked, sending Sora a somewhat critical look.

"Is _not…_" Sora huffed with an insincere scowl. That scowl faded however as he spotted Kairi, hanging at the back of the group, largely refusing to make eye contact with him or say anything at all as she simply looked down sadly.

"Now, don't be strangers, you three!" Yuffie chimed in cheerily. "You guys know you're welcome here any time, catastrophe or no catastrophe."

"Hopefully, it's _no _catastrophone next time around," Axel added pointedly.

"Take care of yourselves out there," Leon said with a small, earnest smile.

"Safe travels!" Aerith bid them brightly.

"Thanks," Sora smiled, Donald and Goofy waving their own fond farewells as they all began to turn to leave. "For everything. We'll see you guys again soon."

An exchange of final goodbyes and well wishes rose among the group as they began to part ways, though all the while Sora largely kept his focus on Kairi, who still didn't meet his gaze even as he waved to her directly. He faltered, unsure of what to do or what to say as he briefly hesitated to leave at all until he was able to offer her one last goodbye. He found he didn't really have time to as Donald and Goofy had already continued on their way back to the Gummi Ship, and even if a part of him still didn't want to quite yet, he ultimately followed them. At least, until she suddenly rushed in to stop him.

"W-wait!" Kairi called, unable to risk missing her chance as she raced toward him. Sora only had time to turn back toward her before she crashed into him, locking him into a tight, secure embrace. "I-I don't know how else to tell you this," she began, leaning her head against his shoulder as her voice came out in a whisper. "So I'll just say it: I-I'm going to miss you… a lot…"

"Kairi…" he started softly, slowly moving his arms to envelop her in the same sort of hug she had him in. "I-I'm gonna miss you too, but… you know we can talk to each other any time we want now with the phones-"

"I know," she sighed wistfully. "But… it's not the same as you actually _being _here…"

"...No, I guess it's not," he admitted. "But… don't worry. We'll see each other again sooner than you think, I know it. And hey, once your training's finished… maybe you could come along with us to look for the rest of the Keys?"

She let out a small, warm laugh at this, comforted by the very thought of being able to accompany him on such a grand, adventurous journey. "I'd love that…" she sighed, content in his embrace. "Before you go… d-do you still have it?"

"Of course," he instantly knew what she meant as he pulled her charm out of his pocket for her to see. "And as long as I do, then it'll be like we're together, no matter how far apart we might be."

"Yeah… it will," she was still smiling, even as they began to part ways. "Be careful. And remember, I'll be there to help you whenever you need me. I promise."

"I know," he said, accepting that promise, treasuring it and everything it meant. Their hug had dissolved by now and yet, even as he began to step away from her to be on his way, it was though they were still as close as they could possibly be. "See you soon?"

"Yeah," she nodded, her heart filled with countless unspoken feelings. "See you soon."

He offered her one final warm wave as he walked away, though she kept her sights on him until the moment he disappeared around a corner. And even as he did, she let her promise remain, her determination to be there for him, to protect him as he'd protected her before, shining brighter and stronger than it ever had before. A promise they'd both made to each other, to continue to fight for each other, until that far off, happy, peaceful, yet possible day when maybe, just maybe, they wouldn't need to anymore.

* * *

**So there you have it! A very LONG chapter, but one I really had a great time writing all the same, especially given the implications it has for a number of things later on (plus I'm just a sap for angst and character interactions and _Sokai _so this really got me in the feels). Anyway next time around we'll finally be getting back into some Disney worlds, starting with a trip to a certain lost empire... ;) Until then though, don't forget to leave your thoughts in the REVIEWS! Stay safe and healthy out there too! Until next time! :D **


	24. Chapter 23: The Lost Empire

_Heyo! I'm back after something of a short hiatus from this fic. And with finally, another start of another Disney world. I gotta say this one was a lot of fun to work on. I have to admit I'm a little less familiar with Atlantis: The Lost Empire than I am some of the other Disney worlds in this fic, but I still think this turned out really well (seriously Atlantis is basically MADE to be in a KH game and I'm baffled that it hasn't happened yet). Anyway, with all that out of the way, let's get started!_

* * *

_Chapter 23: The Lost Empire _

_They'll try to change your mind  
__They'll try to change your heart  
__But they will never understand  
__Who you are  
__And you'll still believe  
__And you know, you must go_

_It came out of nowhere; a massive explosion that overtook both the sky and sea alike. In a blinding flash, the ripple effect of the disaster was immediate as it swallowed everything in its wake. Those who had witnessed it raced to warn the great city of the coming devastation that was set to befall them, but there was no need; even as it swelled over the distant horizon, the coming cataclysm could be seen by all. _

_Darkness filled the sky as the citizens scrambled to find some semblance of shelter from the approaching storm, in the uncertain hope that they could somehow be saved from it. Little did they know that their very city itself was already starting to do exactly that. _

_Yet as it did, its heart took something from its people. It took a wife from her husband, a mother from her daughter, a queen from her people. A heavy price paid for the sake of saving them all. _

_And so it did. And so they were. Or so it seemed. _

_For in a single day and night of misfortune, the island of Atlantis disappeared into the depths of the sea…_

* * *

After nearly a month of relative downtime, venturing out into an entirely new world was something of a strange, yet welcome change of pace for Sora, Donald, and Goofy alike. Or rather, a return to their usual pace, one that all three of them knew would take some getting used to. Still, they had each largely agreed to proceed slowly and carefully when it came to this first venture, or at least that's what Donald and Goofy had miraculously convinced Sora to do.

Yet even as the trio began to make their way through the wide, earthen caverns they found themselves in upon arriving to this new world, Donald and Goofy could tell that much of the bravado and excitement Sora had shown on the way there had suddenly diminished. Because instead of leading the way as he usually would have done, instead he trailed behind his companions, gripping his arms in something of a loose hug as he glanced around the dark caves apprehensively. The captain and the magician exchanged a worried look after they both spared a brief glance back at Sora, their shared concern for him quite palpable even now. After all, even if he'd mostly recovered physically from what Maleficent had done to him, that didn't necessarily mean he'd fully healed in every other regard yet. Even if he liked to act as though he had.

"Gee, I wonder where we'll find a Key around here…" Goofy wondered aloud, trying to strike up a casual chat.

"Who knows?" Donald replied, using a flame spell cast above his scepter to light their way through the lengthy cavern. "What do you think, Sora? You _are _the one who brought us here, after all."

"Hm?" Sora flinched as he suddenly tuned in to the conversation, leaving his myriad of much more pressing thoughts by the wayside, at least for now. "Oh, uh, yeah… Well, I'm pretty sure there _is _a Key here, but as usual, I… don't really know where it is or how to get it…"

"I'm sure we'll figure it out, just like we have a bunch of times already," Goofy said with an encouraging grin.

"Besides," Donald added. "If your Keys Instinct is picking up on a Key here, then at least that means the Organization hasn't gotten their hands on it yet."

"Gawrsh, Donald, I thought you didn't like us callin' it the Keys Instinct," Goofy noted, chuckling.

"Eh, it's growing on me."

"They may not have this world's Key," Sora interjected, his tone completely lacking the levity of his companions' as he gripped his arms tighter. "But I'm sure they have a whole stash of other Keys by now. After all, they've had _plenty _of time to get them thanks to me…"

"Sora, how many times do we have to tell you?" Donald huffed fervently. "What happened to you _wasn't _your fault!"

"And neither is whatever the Organization might have done while you were down and out!" Goofy soundly agreed.

As if on instinct, Sora wanted to immediately argue against both of those claims. Because ultimately, he was the one who had bargained his own freedom away instead of finding another solution. He was the one who had fallen for an obvious trap in trying to escape instead of seeing it coming and outwitting it like he should have. He was the one who had succumbed to the poison, the pain, the darkness that had strangled him, suffocated him, _overwhelmed _him completely instead of having the strength to fight back and resist it. And perhaps worst of all, he was the one who had _wasted _an entire month on largely idle recovery instead of getting back to searching for the very Keys that could spell the difference between light prevailing or darkness enshrouding all.

And if that was indeed what ended up happening, if the Organization did end up claiming the rest of the Keys and Xehanort had his way, then Sora knew there would be no one to blame for such a horrific turn of events other than himself. That was a plain and simple fact he'd known for a long time now, essentially from the moment their search for the Keys had first begun, an obvious constant, an unspoken truth that was always hanging right over his head. A truth that nobody else seemed to accept other than him, not even the pair that was tirelessly searching for those Keys alongside him. "Y-yeah… I know..." he finally conceded, avoiding their worried gaze as he realized arguing for that truth would only be a waste of time they didn't really have on their side anymore.

From this reluctant, half-hearted admittance, neither Donald nor Goofy were particularly convinced. "Are you sure you're up for this?" the magician asked, stopping to turn to him as the captain did the same.

"Cause if you're not," Goofy continued. "Then you know we can always go back to Radiant Garden so you can-"

"N-no!" Sora protested without skipping a beat. "I'm fine! I'm ready for this, I know I am. We need to do this-_I _need to do this. I can't just sit around trying to get better forever, not when there's still so much we need to do."

"But all that stuff can afford to wait until you're feeling better," Goofy assured patiently.

"I _am _feeling better!" Sora reiterated, though once again, neither of his companions seemed to really buy it.

"Look, Sora," Donald began with a sigh. "We know the poison is gone and you can use your Keyblade again, but like we've already told you who knows _how _many times now, you shouldn't push yourself so hard. Especially not after what happened to you."

Sora let out something of a harsh, involuntary scoff at this, hating the mere mention of his brief, yet awful time spent in Maleficent's clutches and the equally horrendous memories that came along with it. "Y-yeah, what _happened_," he muttered, walking past both of them. "Which means it's over, and we _don't _have to talk about it because it's _done_."

"B-but, Sora-"

"Now, come on," he succinctly, almost coldly interrupted as he pressed on ahead through the tunnel. "I-I think I saw a light up ahead."

Though the conversation was all but over, both Donald and Goofy were far from content with how it had ended. Because clearly, as much as he might have said or pretended otherwise, Sora was still struggling, both with his past pain and present problems alike. But any attempts they made to get him to actually talk about either of those things and his honest feelings toward them always seemed to hit a dead end of dismissiveness. Dismissiveness they both knew would have to come to an end sooner or later, but for now they had no other choice than to let it linger. After all, if Sora was right about one thing, it was that they had another Key to collect.

So the trio forged on through the caverns, which were every bit mysterious as they were dense and deep. Though largely obscured by shadows, there were still scattered fragments of ruins strewn about: a battered column here, a broken statue there, though aside from those hints of faded society, there didn't seem to be any signs of life, friendly, hostile or otherwise, anywhere in sight. That is, outside of the fairly fresh tire tracks and footprints the trio had no choice but to follow as they pressed ever deeper into the unknown. And in time, those trails they were tracking eventually led the right to their source, and the realization that they were far from the only travelers traversing these tunnels.

Because as they emerged into another large and lofty room of the caves, the trio was met with a peculiar sight; a makeshift campsite, in the midst of being set up by a group of about 50 or so people. Said group seemed to be some sort of segmented army or some other similar sort of crew based on the rather disheveled uniforms a handful of them were wearing as they tended to their small caravan of trucks, tanks, and even a vehicular drill. Sora, Donald, and Goofy were mutually fascinated as they ventured out into the bustling camp, none of them even thinking about how out of place they were when compared to everyone else. That is, until someone else noticed that fact instead.

"You three! Hold it right there!" A sharp shout caught the trio off guard as they turned to see a tall, blonde, authoritative woman marching swiftly toward them with a severe scowl on her face all the while.

"Oh, hi," Sora tried offering her a friendly greeting, though he was almost immediately cut off.

"What are you doing?" the woman demanded harshly. "How'd you get down here? I've been keeping a careful headcount on all our men since the sub went down, and I know for a fact that _none _of you are part of that count."

"Uh, well…" Sora began uncertainly as the woman skeptically glanced all three of them up and down. "We came, uh, down here-wherever _here _is-to look for-"

"Look for _what_?" the woman raised an eyebrow, her hand slowly, discreetly drifting toward the pistol strapped to her hip.

"A Key!" Goofy informed obliviously.

"...Key?" the woman repeated as she pulled her hand away from her weapon. "What in the world are you-"

"Lieutenant!" The conversation was abruptly interrupted by the arrival of a man who was every bit as intimidating as his apparent lieutenant. He was a good bit older with a large, sturdy build, though surprisingly enough he seemed to be much more amicable than the rather hostile woman he came to stand alongside. "What appears to be the problem here?"

"Commander Rourke," the woman acknowledged her superior with a terse nod. "Looks like we've got three stowaways on our hands, even if it makes absolutely no sense as to _how_. They say they're looking for some sort of Key-"

"A Key, hm?" the commander, Rourke, mused curiously as he turned to the trio. "Who just who might you boys be, exactly?"

By now, several other members of the crew had gathered around to spectate on the encounter and try to make some sense out of this trio of newcomers, though Sora addressed them all evenly as he introduced himself and his companions. "I'm Sora, and this is Donald and Goofy, and we _are _here to look for a Key, but first, do you mind filling us in on where we are and what's going on?"

"Are you kidding?" the lieutenant asked with an incredulous scoff. "How do you end up hundreds of leagues below the sea, make it past that leviathan monster that took most of our crew out, and trudge all the way down here without having a single clue about where you are?"

"Ease up a bit, Helga," Rourke said, crossing his arms. "It's not like we're entirely clear on where we are right now either. Well, other than underground, that is."

"A truly _marvelous _place to be!" another crew member, a stout, begoggled man, piped up enthusiastically from the sidelines.

"Speak for yourself, Mole," the much taller, muscular, yet easy-going man standing alongside Mole remarked swiftly. "I don't know about everyone else, I'm really startin' to miss the sun. A man needs his vitamin D."

"Vitamin D? Aw, phooey!" an elderly, eccentric man huffed indignantly. "That's all that newfangled doctor talk o' yours, Sweet. Everyone knows the only vitamin _anybody _needs is L. For lard!"

"Pfft, maybe according to you, Cookie," a young, overall-clad woman noted dryly, hands on her hips. "But _some _of us actually like eating _real _food."

"Lard's the realest food there is, little lady!" Cookie protested brashly.

An older, rather deadpan woman among the group scoffed dryly. "It's about as real as my ex-husband's-"

"Packard!" Helga interjected just in time.

"Hey, I have a question," another member of the crew, a tall, lean, mustached man asked in a thick forign accent, addressing the trio in particular. "How did you three get down here in the first place? 'Cause if you used dynamite, that's my department. And if you used nitroglycerin, that's _also _my department."

"Um… no?" Sora replied, a bit confused. "We actually got here in a-" He stopped short upon catching the warning glare Donald was sending his way, a silent reminder to maintain the world order, something he was admittedly out of practice with after a month of not needing to do so. "In a… _very _boring way! Like, really, _really _uninteresting. In fact it was so boring that I'm getting tired just talking about it." As he tried to play off his rather awkward answer with a faux yawn, Goofy barely managed to stifle an amused chuckle while Donald face-palmed in annoyance. At the same time, none of the crew really seemed to buy this rather lame excuse as they exchanged dubious glances amongst each other.

"Yeesh, poor kid's a bit of a mess, huh?" Dr. Sweet remarked to the teen girl beside him, aside.

"Yeah," she smirked. "He's almost as bad as-"

"Incredible! Unbelievable! Outstanding!"

"Speak of the linguist…" Mole muttered as everyone eyed the one who was enthusiastically running to join the rest of the gathered group.

He was a fairly young man, thin and lanky and quite excitable as he rushed to meet the trio in particular. "T-this is amazing!" he adjusted his large glasses with a wide grin as he looked over each of them curiously before turning back to the rest of the crew. "Don't you all know who they are?"

"Yeah," the mustoniached man said bluntly. "They just told us who they are."

"No, no, no," the linguist shook his head. "If they're all the way down here, _this _close to where we're going, and they're dressed like-well, like nobody _I've _ever seen topside before, at least-them being able to speak English is a little unexpected, but I guess anything's possible-s-still, there's only one logical explanation: they're _Atlanteans_!"

A beat of skeptical silence passed amongst the crew at this, though the trio met it with blatant confusion above all else. "We're... what?" Sora asked, puzzled.

"Atlanteans!" the linguist repeated, opening up some sort of journal filled with practically unreadable text that he presented the trio eagerly. "Y-you know, from Atlantis? Lost city, buried at the bottom of the sea for thousands of years? It _is _where you guys are from, right?"

"...Uh, I don't know… Is it?" Sora looked to Donald for a definitive answer, unsure of what to say to properly maintain the world order in this instance.

"_No_," Donald answered flatly, rolling his eyes in exasperation.

"Oh." Sora turned back to the linguist. "Then I guess we're not. Sorry."

"W-wha-but… how…" he trailed off, frowning as he flipped through several pages of his book.

"Alright, that's enough, Mr. Thatch," Rourke interjected, placing a hand on the linguist's shoulder. "I'm sure our new… friends here don't want to be bothered while in the middle of looking for… what was it again, a lock?"

"A Key, actually," Sora corrected before turning to the somewhat disappointed linguist with a smile. "And don't worry, you're not bothering us. What did you say your name was again?"

"Milo," the linguist introduced himself with a bright grin, extending a hand out in greeting. "Milo Thatch, expert linguist. And cartographer. And expedition guide-" He stopped short as Rourke cleared his throat quite intentionally. "T-though that last title is _completely _unofficial."

"Cool! It's nice meeting you, Milo," Sora smiled, returning his handshake.

"So, what was that Atlantis place you were talking about earlier?" Goofy inquired, curious.

"You mean you _haven't _heard of it?" Milo asked, baffled as he looked between the three. "S-so, let me get this straight, you guys somehow wound up all the way down here, right next to the very _entrance _to Atlantis-or at least it's _just about_ the entrance according to the Shepherd's Journal here-and you don't even know _what _it is in the first place?!"

"Yes, we've already established that none of this makes any sort of sense, Thatch," Helga spoke up boredly as some of the group started to disperse to get back to their prior business. "There's no need to beat a dead horse."

"Well, unless it's a piñata," the mustached man pointed out. "But that's not really a horse, it's a donkey. And it's not really dead either, it's paper. But you still give it a good beating either way-"

"Alright, Vinny, we get it," the teen girl cut him off sardonically.

"W-well, anyway," Milo addressed the trio, getting the conversation back on track. "Atlantis is an ancient, powerful civilization that was destroyed centuries upon centuries ago by some _huge _catastrophe. Most believe it's just a myth, but this book right here, the Shepherd's Journal, has an exact map showing where it is. And even though it's taken us a lot, and I mean a _lot _to get here, we're almost there. Atlantis and all its secrets should be just over that bridge." He nodded to the long, narrow passage that led even further into the unknown darkness up ahead, or rather, to something else altogether.

"Whoa… that's amazing!" Sora said, both him and his companions equally fascinated by Milo's description of the mysterious city. "So what are you guys gonna do once you get there?"

"Well, we're-"

"We're gonna find a bunch of old treasure, bring it back, and get filthy rich," the teen girl piped up plainly, with just about every member of the crew soundly agreeing with her.

"Uh, yeah… well, as Audrey so… eloquently put it, they're mostly in it for the money," Milo said with a small, awkward chuckle before his previous excitement sparked back up again. "B-but what _I _want to see is the power source the Atlanteans used to make their civilization so advanced-my grandfather used to tell me all sorts of old legends about it when I was a kid. The journal almost starts detailing more about it, but then it just… cuts off. Almost like there's a missing page. But it still mentions something called 'the Heart of Atlantis'..."

"A Heart?" Sora exchanged an intrigued glance with Donald and Goofy at this. "You don't think…?"

"Could be…" Donald mused, knowing that the heart of a given world wasn't exactly an uncommon thing for them to come across at this point.

"Yeah, it could help lead us to the Key!" Goofy agreed, voicing exactly what the other two were thinking and hoping for.

"You're looking for a Key?" Now it was Milo's turn to be immensely interested (even more than he already was) as he put the journal away and pulled out a small notepad instead. "Mind telling a bit more about it? After all, you fellas think it might be in Atlantis, then it _must _be something worth looking further into."

Sora was more than ready to tell Milo whatever he could on the Key, glad to have already made a fast friend in this world who was eager to aid in their search. Yet before he could even get a word out, Rourke cut in once more. "Now, now, Mr. Thatch, let's keep our eyes on the prize here," the commander said coolly. "Especially since we're _so _close. You wouldn't want us to get distracted on some… wild Key hunt, would you?"

"It's not a wild Key-" Sora was cut off as Rourke put up a hand to silence him, though Milo was ultimately the one to speak up instead.

"W-well, commander," the linguist began, adjusting his glasses. "I just thought maybe we could benefit from-"

The entire conversation was starkly interrupted as a sudden explosion rattled the entire platform the crew's camp was being set up on. As everyone rushed to retain their footing from the quake, the source of it soon became clear as a swell of noisy panic arose from various other members of the crew either rushing for their weapons or rushing to safety. "Monsters!" a handful of soldiers cried out as they ran past the startled group.

"What in the-" Rourke didn't get a chance to finish as Helga suddenly swept in front of him, her pistol drawn as she swiftly took aim and fired at one of the sleek, white "monsters" rushing for them.

"W-what are those things?!" Milo asked, aptly alarmed as he pulled the Shepherd's Journal back out and began frantically flipping through it.

"What, you mean that fancy book of yours _doesn't _have all the answers this time?" Audrey taunted as she managed to beat back one of the creatures with a stray piece of pipe.

"N-no!" Milo gasped as Dr. Sweet narrowly managed to push him out of the way of a flying monster's attack. "I've never seen or heard of monsters like these at all!"

"We have!" Sora exclaimed, not wasting any time in summoning his Keyblade as Donald and Goofy also brought out their own weapons.

"They're called Nobodies-" Goofy informed, deflecting an attack with his shield.

"And they're _more _than their fair share of trouble!" Donald huffed as he shot down a handful of swarming Nobodies with a lightning spell.

"We can take care of these guys," Sora tightened his grip on his Keyblade, preparing to join the fray alongside his companions, though hesitating at the same time. "Commander, you should get your crew out of here. This could get dangerous."

"My crew can handle more than a little danger by now, son," Rourke retorted. However, he did stop short upon noticing just how much more effective the trio's weapons seemed to be in dealing with the rampaging Nobodies compared to the more traditional autillary of his troops, which only seemed to stun the ctreautes at most. "Then again, it never hurts to have some… insurance. If you boys think you've got this covered, then we'll leave you to it. Everyone!" he called to the struggling crew at large. "Fall back! Let's get into the caves! Move it!"

No one argued with this command as they all rushed to gather their supplies, narrowly avoiding the ever-growing horde of Nobodies as they packed whatever they could back into their vehicles. Everyone largely scattered amidst the noisy chaos of both the attack and the attempt to escape from it, but amidst it all, Sora, Donald, and Goofy remained together to face the threat head-on. Or rather, the latter pair was facing the threat just as they always would have, yet as they did, Sora had still yet to take a single swing of his Keyblade. Instead, he remained still, upholding a battle-ready stance but not making any actual advances against the crowd of Nobodies surrounding them. He almost, _almost _did, but every time he started to move his Keyblade to attack, his nerves always managed to hold him back at the very last second.

And each time they did, Sora silently, yet woefully reminded himself that he had been poisoned, weakened, his strength sapped to the point that he wasn't even sure if he could hold his own in a fight as simple as this anymore. True, he had participated in plenty of practice skirmishes with Leon and Axel and the others back in Radiant Garden, but an attack like this wasn't just mere practice; it was the real thing. A real, tangible, dangerous threat that, if he was perfectly honest with himself, he was far out of practice when it came to standing against. His strength had been taken from him before, but at least then he'd had the verve and the perseverance to build it back up again. But now, here he was, weak and weary as he found himself trembling in legitimate fear before a pack of simple-minded, low-level _Nobodies _of all things, creatures he'd torn through and taken down with ease so many times but couldn't even muster the courage to raise his Keyblade against now all because he'd lied before; he thought he could do this, he thought he was ready, but he _wasn't_, he _couldn't _do this, he _wasn't _ready-

"Sora!" Donald and Goofy's shared cry of alarm only partially broke him out of his spiraling internal panic. With a sharp gasp, he glanced up at the pair as they finished off another round of Nobodies, though those monsters were quickly left by the wayside as they raced for their frightened young companion with another warning cry. "Look out!"

Sora spun around just in time to see the large, blade-wielding Nobody towering over him from behind, its weapon held high in preparation for a brutal attack. Unable to do much else, he only had time to raise his Keyblade to block the heavy swing, which ultimately ended up knocking him back hard as it landed squarely against his weapon. The Nobody wasted no time in gearing up for a similar blow now that Sora had fallen, slightly injured, to the ground, though this time, that blow landed against Goofy's shield instead.

The next several minutes only barely registered for Sora as he hardly even felt present within them. The ringing in his ears was practically deafening as his entire body continued trembling uncontrollably, his heart racing as his breathing turned short and shallow. He was only vaguely aware of the remaining Nobodies still swarming all around them, vaguely aware of the crew's vehicles roaring into motion so they could make their hasty escape, vaguely aware that his Keyblade had disappeared from his now-empty grip, vaguely aware of Goofy doing his best to defend against the largest monster among them, vaguely aware of Donald shaking him by the shoulders, asking him a barrage of frantic questions that he couldn't answer because he couldn't speak, he couldn't move, he couldn't _think-_

And suddenly, he was on his feet again, running, or rather, being pulled along by Donald and Goofy, who had apparently decided to leave the horde of Nobodies behind altogether. As completely detached from reality itself as he still felt, Sora was only really able to pick up on snippets of what they were saying as the ran to catch up with the fleeing crew: "-what's wrong with-", "-won't answer any-", "can't get him to snap out of-", "-knew he wasn't ready!"

"I-I'm _not _ready!" Sora suddenly spoke up, his voice tight to the point that he felt like he was choking on it. All at once, the heavy haze he'd inexplicably fallen under abruptly lifted, dropping him right back into the present moment, as hectic and frenzied as it was. Even so, he stopped short just at the start of the bridge, pulling his hands out of his companions' grip as he looked between both of them, completely distraught, "I-I'm not ready for this," he repeated, his breathing so tense and erratic he was practically hyperventilating. "I'm not-I-I can't-" He stopped short, his own palpable dread put on pause the moment he felt the bridge they were on suddenly jolt with a sickening crack. Donald and Goofy felt it too, though no one on the caravan of trucks and tanks steadily rumbling across it seemed to, even as the weight of those very vehicles wore the ancient structure's integrity down immensely.

"The bridge!" the trio exclaimed in startled unison, the past few minutes completely forgotten as they all ran together to warm the others. However, they didn't even have time to do that as the bridge suddenly began to crumble completely. The near end of the structure snapped apart from its base, its equally time-withered other end following suit immediately after, something that everyone on the bridge felt this time as it shuddered violently beneath them. In an instant, the bridge itself began to slowly collapse, the collection of vehicles on it starting to roll backward as the incline became steeper and steeper. Several of the stalled trucks collided into each other as they slipped further down into the chasm, miraculously landing on solid ground as the bridge fell completely. Amidst this, Sora, Donald, and Goofy rushed to jump into one of the trucks, largely to avoid being crushed as the vehicles continued tumbling down in an unstoppable, chaotic landslide.

And yet, that landslide did eventually come to a stop, a dramatic, disastrous one as the caravan finally came to a crashing halt at the bottom of the pitch-black ravine. In the immediate aftermath of this crash, all went deathly silent, with everyone thrown into complete darkness as everyone tried to regather their lost bearings. Rourke was the first to pipe up, striking a match to shed some light on the otherwise very dark area all around them. "All right, who's not dead? Sound off."

He was met with a series of disheveled moans and mutters, but for the most part, the entire company seemed to be fine, if not much worse for wear. The same couldn't exactly be said for their vehicles, which had been tossed and strewn about all over the bottom of the pit they now found themselves in. A cursory damage report from Audrey revealed that only two of the rigs had been absolutely totaled, but the rest would fortunately still run. Mole attributed their incredible survival to their surprisingly soft landing at the bowels of a long-dormant volcano, one that had the potential to lead to a route directly to the surface. A route that, as trapped and directionless as they all currently seemed to be, the crew was heavily considering taking.

Still, they weren't exactly bringing their search for the lost city to an end quite yet. Repairs to the busted vehicles were soon underway as supplies were re-accounted for and mostly minor wounds and injuries were treated. Amidst this buzz of activity, Sora, Donald, and Goofy had slipped away to the sidelines, mostly to recuperate from that last battle and its fallout in whatever limited way they could.

"I-I don't know what happened," Sora began, sitting on a piece of rubble as Donald and Goofy anxiously fretted over him. "I just… froze up, and i-it was like I was in a total fog, and I… I'm sorry…"

"Don't be sorry," Donald said with a tired, yet understanding sigh. "You said so yourself, you're _weren't _ready for this. And we should have thought more about that before we came all the way here."

"Maybe we left Radiant Garden too soon," Goofy added, frowning. "Do you want to go back? I'm sure Leon, Kairi, and the others wouldn't mind if we-"

"N-no, we can't go back," Sora insisted as he rose to stand, hoping to show the pair that he had more resolve, more courage left in him than the panicked cowardice he'd shown earlier. "We still have a Key to find, and besides, if Nobodies are here, then the Organization can't be too far behind. Which means if we leave, everyone here will be in danger. We have to help them."

"But what if that happens again?" Donald asked, genuinely concerned. "We won't get very far if you keep shutting down every time we run into a bunch of Nobodies. You know that."

"I _won't _shut down," Sora countered firmly, trying to convince himself just as much as his companions. "I can't, not again. I may not have been ready this time, but I'll do whatever I can to be ready _next _time. I promise."

Despite his earnesty, Donald and Goofy still exchanged a worried glance, neither of them too keen on re-experiencing what had just happened. Seeing Sora completely freeze up, his eyes glazing over into a distant, empty, terror-filled stare, his breathing short and strangled, and his words and reactions completely non-existent had shaken both the captain and the magician quite a bit. Both of them had already reached the unspoken agreement that he still needed more time to recover, if not physically, than mentally, from the torturous ordeal he'd been through. But of course, that was a sentiment that Sora didn't seem to share in the slightest, even if he probably should have.

"Sora… you know we just wanna help you, right?" Goofy asked kindly, carefully.

"That's right," Donald soundly agreed. "And we wanna do that now more than ever after what happened to-"

"I thought we agreed we weren't going to talk about that!" Sora suddenly interrupted quite harshly, his hands in tight fists at his sides.

"Well, maybe we _should_!" the magician countered just as severely, even though the captain wanted to take a much calmer approach. "For all you know, talking about it instead of you just bottling it all up might actually _help _you!"

"_H-help _me?!" Sora scoffed incredulously. "How in the worlds would talking about how I was captured and poisoned and tor-" He sharply cut himself off before the loathsome word, the horrific, yet all too _true _thought, could even escape him. "It _wouldn't _help," he finished coldly, not knowing if anything actually _could _at this point.

Though Donald let out an irritated huff at this, Goofy was quick to step in much more rationally and even-tempered. "If you're not ready to talk about it, Sora, then you don't have to," he said, putting on a small, reassuring smile. "But we want you to know that whenever you are, Donald and I will be right here to listen."

Sora finally allowed himself to ease up a bit at this, turning to meet the pair's genuine, encouraging expressions. A part of him did actually want to accept their encouragement, their solidarity, the support they were both so clearly willing to give him. And yet the thought of voicing the nightmares of the recent past, or even worse, his newfound growing fears for his future, to anyone, including two of his closest friends and companions, was more than he could really hope to bear. So once again, he didn't. "Ok," was all he said as he started to head back to rejoin the others.

Not knowing what else to do, Donald and Goofy followed him, though the rather forlorn trio didn't get very far before they were pulled aside by the pair in charge of the rest of the crew. "There you boys are," Rourke greeted the trio with an easy grin. "Glad to see you're all still in one piece after all that. I was just telling Lieutenant Sinclair here about how you three managed to distract those… 'Anybodies' or whatever they're called so our crew could make a clean getaway. Well, _almost _clean…" he said, glancing over the wreckage of vehicles behind him.

"I might have had you three pegged all wrong at first," Helga added smoothly, yet almost insincerely. "You might be just a bit more than you're cracked up to be with impressive work like that."

"Y-yeah… impressive…" Sora said with a forced chuckle, knowing that they must not have gotten a good look at how absolutely _un_impressive that last skirmish really was.

"All this to say that if we all are in fact heading to the same place," Rourke continued. "We'd appreciate it a great deal if you fellas came along with us for the rest of the way. Never hurts to have a bit of extra muscle on hand, especially with things like them roaming around." He nodded up to where the bridge had collapsed from, where they'd supposedly left the flock of attacking Nobodies behind.

"Oh, yeah, of course," Sora agreed with a small smile. "We'd be more than happy to join you guys."

"You can count on us!" Goofy chimed in brightly.

"Plus, we can look for that Key along the way," Donald reminded.

"Just like we _always _do," Sora smirked, finally showing a bit of levity that he'd previously lost. A small, but reassuring sign for both of his companions to say the least.

"Well, then welcome to the team," Rourke said with a satisfied nod. "I'm sure Mr. Thatch will be the first to volunteer to help you look for that Key of yours. Won't you, Thatch?" The commander paused, only to receive no answer from Milo. Largely since Milo wasn't even there to begin with. "Thatch?" By now, several of the other crew members had picked up on the linguist's alarming absence as they began to shine their flashlights around through the darkness to try and spot him, even if by all accounts, he was seemingly nowhere to be found. "Thatch!"

* * *

Milo wasn't exactly sure what had knocked him out in the first place, but he was aware of the low, whispering voices conversing somewhere near him before he even really regained consciousness. When he finally did groggily open his eyes, he was met with a sight that shocked him stiff. A group of strange, possibly humanoid figures was crowded around him, though their large, monstrous masks made what they really were rather unclear. All the same, Milo seized up in apt terror as they drew in closer with their spear-like weapons, still muttering amongst themselves in a language he was only barely able to recognize thanks to years of careful study. He was more than ready to get up and flee from these mysterious beings, though a sharp, sudden pain lancing through his shoulders kept him pinned to his place on the ground. One of the masked figures leaned down beside him as he gripped the small, but steadily bleeding wound near his collarbone, one he must have sustained during the chaotic fall from the bridge. He almost didn't notice the figure lift its large mask either, until he finally caught a glance of the woman who had been hidden behind it.

She was beautiful, to say the least, with warm skin, captivating features, and bright ocean-blue eyes with a distinct tattoo of the same shade resting on her cheek under one of them. Her hair was pure white and hung long and loose and free, taking on the almost mystical azure glow the gleaming crystal hanging around her neck put off. She moved slowly, awe filling her expression as she leaned in closer to Milo, who was every bit as stunned by her as she seemed to be by him. She focused on the cut on his shoulder however, pulling her crystal close to it for a moment before abruptly pressing her palm against it. Milo gasped in reactionary pain, yet it was very quick to fade, just as the cut itself did as the woman pulled her hand away, the glow that had surrounded it and the spot she had rested it upon disappearing without a trace just as much as the wound itself somehow had. As bewildered as Milo was by such an inexplicable miracle, when he glanced up to the woman again, he caught her offering him something of a wry, almost playful smile just as she dropped her mask back over her face, hiding it from view once more.

No more than a second later, a large crash rattled through the cavern, prompting the woman and her similarly-masked companions to abruptly take off running. "H-hey! Wait!" Milo called after them as he scrambled to his feet. Somewhere behind him, the crew's drill, as well as the rest of their functional vehicles were clearing a rocky rise to approach him, yet the linguist paid them no mind as he hurried after the group of mysterious warriors once again. "Who… who are you!? Where are you going?! Come back!"

Milo got no answer as he essentially bounded between stones to try (and fail) to catch up to the group. Still, he'd never been one to give up so easily as he continued pursuing them over the difficult terrain, even as they slipped through an opening that flooded hints of light in through the edge of the otherwise shadowy cave. Yet as soon as he emerged out of that opening himself, he found himself stumbling upon the very thing he'd dreamed of finding for as long as he could remember.

From his spot on the edge of the grassy cliff, Milo didn't even turn as the drill burst through the cliffside behind him, nor did he pay any mind as the others all rushed to join him, the trio leading the pack to make sure he was unharmed. Yet as they did, each of them was immediately struck by the very same sort of awe that had already hit the linguist as they took in the grand sight that lay before them. A massive plateau of crystal blue waterfalls poured down into the molten lava that flowed in the chasm far below it. And, resting atop that plateau at its very heart was what could only be described as a towering spire of a city.

"Sweet mother of Jefferson Davis!" Cookie was the first to pipe up amongst the dumbfounded group.

"It's beautiful," Audrey said with a dazzled smile.

"Golly, it sure is…" Goofy agreed, thoroughly amazed.

"Oh yeah," Sora let out a relieved sigh, already sensing the immense, almost mythical energy emanating from this incredible place. "There's no doubt about it. There's _definitely _a Key here…"

"No kidding," Donald remarked, though even amidst his sarcasm he was still clearly impressed by the view.

"Milo, I gotta hand it to you," Dr. Sweet slapped a hand onto the linguist's shoulder. "You really came through." Before Milo even had a chance to respond, the celebration was swiftly cut short as the group of masked warriors from earlier returned, jumping down from their hidden perch to take up their spears against the crew with a round of rowdy war cries. "Uh… I take that back," Dr. Sweet recanted nervously.

For their part, the crew prepared their own pistols and muskets for a possible brawl, and as a precaution, Sora, Donald, and Goofy called upon their own weapons and took up a defensive stance too. The warriors inched in closer, though despite brandishing their spears, they made no apparent moves to attack, though their bizarre, ceremonial masks alone gave them a generally unsettling, unknown vibe overall.

"Holy cats, who are these guys!?" Rourke asked Milo as he reached for his pistol.

"Uh… y-you know how I was wrong earlier about Sora, Donald, and Goofy being Atlanteans?" Milo began, nodding apprehensively to the warriors before them. "Well, I-I think these guys might _actually _be Atlanteans."

"What? That's impossible!" Helga protested crossly.

Before Milo could argue his case, one of the warriors, namely the woman who had healed him earlier, suddenly spoke up, her tone harsh and authoritative as she spoke in a language none of the crew could understand. Well, _almost _none of them. "I think it's talking to you," Mole muttered, pulling on Milo's arm.

"What's she saying?" Sora asked the linguist, aptly confused.

"I… I think she's speaking Atlantean…" Milo frowned, stepping forward carefully. While he wasn't quite fluent in the long-dead language, he made a basic attempt at communicating, hoping to at the very least communicate to the warriors that they meant them no harm. The woman took pause at this, removing her mask once again to reveal her simple, mostly-blue attire as she continued speaking with the linguist. Their conversation was largely unintelligible, shifting through several different languages entirely until Milo ventured a question that the crew could actually make out. "And… what about this? Do you understand this?"

"Yes, I do!" the woman responded with a bright, excited smile. A ripple of relief washed over both groups as the other warriors removed their masks, greeting the crew amicably as they all put their weapons away.

"We are explorers from the surface world," Rourke addressed the warriors slowly with a broad, confident smile. "We come in peace."

"Then welcome," the woman said cordially as she motioned to the place she called home. "To the city of Atlantis! Come!" She ran back to Milo, grabbing him by the hand and eagerly pulling him along after her. "You must speak with my father now."

With this, the crew was on the move once more as Rourke sent half of the group back to the shaft to salvage whatever they could from the wreckage. The rest followed the Atlanteans' lead across the long, narrow bridge toward the legendary city itself. Most everyone was in flux between excitement at their incredible discovery and contentedness that they were finally back in some form of structured society. However, Milo was by far the most elated on the way to the city as he spent the time enthusiastically detailing his notes both old and new to Sora, Donald, and Goofy, who were quite intrigued to hear them given how fascinating and potentially helpful the information might prove to be.

"Someone's having a good time," Helga remarked to Rourke, aside as she largely tuned the linguist's ramblings out.

"Like a kid at Christmas," Rourke agreed with a dry smirk.

"...Commander," the lieutenant spoke up after a beat of hesitation. "There were _not _supposed to be people down here. This changes everything."

"This changes nothing," Rourke retorted coldly. "Why else do you think I wanted some extra… 'muscle' to come along?" He sent a subtle nod back at the trio as they continued to keep pace alongside Milo.

"If push came to shove, do you really think those three would be up to it?" Helga asked, doubtful. "They all seem a bit too… wide-eyed and innocent for that, especially the kid."

"Well, if they don't have the stomachs for it, then that's hardly a problem," Rourke scowled, patting the pistol strapped to his belt. "It'll just be a matter of tying up some… loose ends. Might as well get used to the idea, lieutenant, 'cause I have a feeling we're gonna have to do a lot of that down here."

"As long as I walk out of the whole thing with my cut, then you can tie up as many loose ends as you want, commander," Helga remarked, just as nonchalant about the implied horrific act as Rourke had been. An act that they both had every intention of carrying out if things did in fact go awry.

If Atlantis had been impressive from a distance, it was even more incredible up close. The city was made up of towering, beautifully designed buildings and towers, with ancient monuments naturally decorated with vibrant fauna that seemed to be completely unique to Atlantis itself. Despite supposedly being "lost", the city itself was actually well populated as Atlantean civilians paused their usual activities to watch the caravan of newfound visitors make their way through the square on their way to the palace. The woman continued to lead the group all the way to the throne room, where her father, none other than the king of Atlantis himself, was waiting.

The king was well-on in years, though his long white beard and regal, yet simple attire commanded respect even as he reclined against his low throne. His face was adorned with same of the same sort of clean blue tattoos his daughter had, albeit more of them as one passed over one of his eyes, both of which seemed to be completely blind based on how pale and empty they were. The princess greeted him in Atlantean as she led the way through his semi-submerged chamber, bowing low in reverence to him. Somewhat familiar with the city's customs, Milo also bowed, encouraging everyone else to do the same, and while the trio respectfully did, Rourke and Helga remained standing throughout the entire exchange.

The king made something of a calm, yet dismissive remark, one that his daughter tried to protest in apparent frustration. He was quick to shut her down, however, his tone alone making it quite clear that he was far from pleased by the unfolding situation. "Your majesty," Rourke spoke up evenly. "On behalf of my crew, may I say it is an honor to be welcomed to your city."

"Um, e-excuse me?" Milo tried to interject, having actually largely understood the preceding conversation. "Commander?"

"You presume much to think you are welcome here," the king said with a disapproving frown.

"Oh, but sir," Rourke continued anyway. "We have come a long way looking for-"

"I know what you seek, and you will not find it here," the king insisted. "Your journey has been in vain."

"But we are peaceful explorers. Men of science-"

The king let out a harsh, almost disgusted chuckle at this. "Men of science," he repeated coldly. "Just the same as the last unwelcome visitor who arrived just a short time ago hailed himself to be? The same visitor who came claiming to offer his knowledge before unleashing a plague of dangerous creatures upon my people, forcing them to hide themselves away in fear? Try as you might to convince me otherwise, you and your followers are no better than that menace in the black coat."

"A black coat?!" Sora suddenly exclaimed, Donald and Goofy both instantly sharing his alarm at this news. "What did this guy look like? Where is he now? Did you-"

"Er… Sora?" Milo stopped him anxiously as he glanced back over to the king. "Now… _might _not be the best time…"

"My city has already seen enough sorrow caused by outsiders like yourselves," the king rose to stand, his stance on the matter quite firm. "Return to your people. You must leave Atlantis at once."

"Oh, your majesty," Rourke let out an incredulous chuckle at this. "Be reasonable. I mean, we don't even _know _anyone in a black-"

"Um, sir?" Milo interrupted.

"Not now, son."

"Trust me on this," the linguist pleaded earnestly. "We better do as he says."

Rourke contemplated this advice for a moment before strangely seeming to comply with it. Or at the very least, try to make a last-ditch compromise with it. "May I respectfully ask that we stay one night, sir?" he asked the king. "That would give us time to rest, resupply, and be ready to travel by morning."

"Hm…" the king mused, still clearly against the idea, though he finally conceded all the same. "Very well. One night. That is all."

"Thank you, your majesty," Rourke agreed with a small nod as the group began to take their leave. Even as they did, however, Milo couldn't help but spare a glance back at the princess, who merely saw him off with a sad, almost disappointed sigh. Her disappointment only continued to linger as the doors closed behind the group, leaving her alone with her father.

"Your heart has softened, Kida," the king said, lying upon his throne once more. "A thousand years ago, you would have slain them on sight."

"A thousand years ago, the streets were lit, there were no strange monsters roaming around, and our people did not have to scavenge for food at the edge of a crumbling city!" Kida protested, using her crystal to reignite the lantern above her father.

"The people are content-"

"Because they do not know any better!" the princess argued resiliently as she tended to the ailing king. "We were once a great people. Now we live in ruins. The kings of our past would weep if they could see how far we have fallen."

"Kida-"

"I know just as well as you do what the man in the black coat did," Kida huffed indignantly. "But what if these _new _outsiders are different than he was? What if they _truly _came to help? If they can help us unlock the secrets of our past… perhaps we can save our future."

"What they have to teach us," the king concluded tiredly. "We have already learned."

"Our way of life is _dying_," Kida implored, practically desperate at this point.

"Our way of life is _preserved_," the king countered, enclosing his hands around his daughter's. "Kida, when you take the throne, you will understand."

For now, the most Kida knew she could really do was accept her father's wisdom in an argument she never really won, even if she didn't want to simply understand. She yearned to fix what had been broken for her people for so long now, to bring them out of the darkness and back out into the light. But now, standing just outside this very room, was what could very well be the only real chance for her to do exactly that. And that wasn't a chance she was about to pass up, even if she had to go over her father's head to do it.

* * *

"So… how'd it go?" Dr. Sweet asked as the small group that had ventured into the throne room emerged to join the rest of the crew.

"Well…" Milo began, recounting what he'd overheard of the royal family's conversation. "The king and his daughter don't exactly see eye to eye. She seems to like us ok, but the king… I dunno, I think he's hiding something. And then there was that whole thing about some guy in a black coat…"

"We might know something about that actually," Sora said, exchanging a knowing look with Donald and Goofy. "Whoever that guy is, he's gotta be with Organization XIII. They're the ones behind the Nobodies we saw back in the caves, which are probably the monsters the king mentioned too."

"Great, so now we've got some whole _other _pack of wackjobs to compete with?" Rourke asked, disgruntled.

"The Organization must be down here lookin' for that Key too," Goofy inferred.

"But they won't get it if we have anything to do about it!" Donald chimed in firmly.

"No, not this time, they won't," Sora agreed, refusing to let the Organization get the better of him like they had over a month ago now. "I just wish we had more time to search the city for it. One night isn't gonna be even _close _to enough time to look around a place this huge!"

"Tell me about it..." Milo morosely agreed, jotting down whatever notes he could about the city before it was too late.

"You know, somebody really ought to talk to that princess," Helga spoke up with a cunning smirk.

"I will go!" Mole readily, eagerly volunteered.

"Someone with good people skills…" Vinny added thoughtfully.

"I will do it!"

"Someone who won't scare her away," Dr. Sweet continued on the same train of thought.

"I volunteer!"

"Someone who can speak the language," Packard noted as dryly as ever.

"For the good of the mission, I will go!" Mole exclaimed with a dutiful salute.

"Good man, Thatch," Rourke pulled Milo out of his notes with a pat on the shoulder. "Thanks for volunteering." While Mole let out a round of mournful sobs over missing such an opportunity, Milo was simply caught off guard by the mission he'd suddenly been entrusted out of the blue.

"Go get 'em, tiger," Audrey teased, offering the linguist a light punch on the shoulder as most of the crew began to file out of the palace.

"W-wait!" Milo called after them anxiously, though they left him behind to his task all the same with only the trio staying with him. "Oh geez, I don't know if I can do this… W-what am I supposed to even say to her?!"

"Well, you sure did seem to hit it off with her before," Goofy pointed out.

"Yeah, but how am I supposed to convince her to go against her father-who, might I remind you, is the _king of Atlantis-_just to let us stay here just a little longer?" Milo asked, clearly stressed and frazzled by the concept.

"Don't worry," Sora offered him an encouraging smile. "We'll help you talk to her."

"Yeah, since she might know something about that Key too!" Donald added in agreement.

"Thanks, fellas," Milo let out a relieved sigh. "So, we should-Oh my gosh, she's coming!" He let out a startled gasp as the throne room door began rumbling open behind them. Without warning, he pushed the trio behind a nearby large pillar before joining them in taking refuge there out of sight himself. "O-Ok, we can't take no for an answer," the linguist whispered to the trio, his tone serious and bold. "How's this sound: 'I have some questions for you, and I'm not leaving this city until they're answered!'?"

"Uh… well, it's… intimidating?" Sora ventured with a small shrug.

"Good! That's good," Milo grinned, steeling his confidence the best he could. "Now, we just need to wait for-" He stopped short upon peering out from behind the pillar, only to find that the princess was nowhere to be found. "Huh?" he stepped out of hiding, confused. "Where'd she-"

The linguist jolted in surprise as a hand suddenly clasped over his mouth, his free arm pinned tightly behind him as the princess herself caught both him and the trio completely off guard. "I have some questions for you, and you are not leaving this city until they are answered," she said, offering all of them a teasing, knowing smirk.

"O-oh yeah?" Milo broke free from her hold somewhat, trying to come across as stern as possible. A front that was very quick to waver entirely. "W-well, we-I… o-okay-"

"Shh!" she covered his mouth once more as she began to pull him away. "Come with me. All of you, quickly!"

"Where are we going?" Sora asked, curious, though the princess was just as quick to quiet him too as she nervously glanced back toward the throne room. After seeing they were in the clear and out of her father's notice, she motioned for the entire group to follow her out of the palace entirely, though they stayed close to it as she guided them through one of the city's many semi-ruined structures.

"Oh, there is so much to ask about your world!" the princess exclaimed with a bright grin as soon as they were outside the palace walls. "You are a scholar, are you not?" she asked Milo in particular as she pulled him up close beside her. "Judging from your diminished physic and large forehead, you are suited for nothing else! And you!" She turned to walk backward to face the trio. "With the powerful weapons I saw you wielding earlier, you three are a band of mighty warriors, yes?"

"Gawrsh, I guess you could say that," Goofy chuckled bashfully.

"Eh, we do our best," Sora nodded with a modest grin.

"Atlantis could use such noble might at a dark time like this," the princess sighed, sparing a glance at the grand view of the city they were getting from their high vantage point. "We have tried fighting those strange monsters the man in the black coat brought with him on our own, but I fear our strength may not be enough to stop them…"

"Speaking of the guy in the black coat," Sora began, eager to know more about who they'd be dealing with this time. "Do you mind telling us a bit more about him? Your father said something about him coming here offering to help?"

"He did, and then just as quickly, he unleashed those vile creatures upon us," the princess huffed disdainfully. "No one has seen him since, but we have seen _plenty _of those monsters putting my people in peril in the meantime."

"Those monsters are called Nobodies-" Goofy informed.

"And the man in the black coat is from Organization XIII!" Donald added.

"And we've been trying to stop them both for a long time now," Sora finished, resolved. "So if they're trying to hurt your people, we'll do whatever we can to help you out."

The princess offered the trio a genuinely grateful smile at this. "Thank you. Your courage and kindness will not go unnoticed, er…" she stopped short, somewhat uncertain as she looked between the group.

"Oh, that's right!" Milo said, facepalming. "We were never properly introduced. I-I'm Milo‒Milo Thatch, and this is Sora, Donald, and Goofy."

The princess nodded cordially at each of these introductions before giving one of her own. "My name is Kidagakash."

"...Ki-Kidamaschnaga?" Milo attempted, exchanging a glance with the trio, who were just as baffled as he was. "Uh… you got a nickname?"

"Kida," she chuckled, amused.

"Ok, Kida," Milo smiled. "I can remember that. So, going back to those questions I-or I guess _you _mentioned earlier-"

"Ah, yes!" Kida grinned, suddenly stealing Milo's glasses so she could try them on herself. "What is your country of origin? When did the flood waters recede? How did you-"

"Whoa, hey, wait a minute," Milo interjected, reclaiming his glasses from her. "We have a few questions for you too. So let's do this, ok? You ask one, then we'll ask one, then you, then us, then… well, you get it."

"Very well," Kida smirked. "What is _your _first question?"

Milo looked to the trio on this, though given his already abundant curiosity on Atlantis as a whole, they graciously allowed him to go first. "Well, ok, uh… how did you get here? Well, I mean, not _you _personally, but your… your culture. I mean, how did all of this end up down here?"

"It is said that the gods became jealous of Atlantis," Kida began to explain as she continued leading the group across the bridge they'd just reached. "They sent a great cataclysm and banished us here. All I can remember is the sky going dark and people running and shouting. Then, a bright light, like a star, floating above the city. My father said it called my mother to it…" The princess let out a soft, wistful sigh. "I never saw her again."

The others took on a solemn, sympathetic tone at this, though Milo was ultimately the one to speak to it. "I-I'm sorry. If it's… any consolation… I know how you feel. I lost both of my-wait a minute. Wait just a minute!" The linguist shook his head as he looked to Kida in disbelief. "Back up. W-what are you saying? That you remember because you were there?"

"Yes…?" the princess raised a confused eyebrow.

"No, that's… that's impossible," Milo countered incredulously. "Because I mean, t-that would make you… y-you know, 8,500 to 8,000 years old!"

"What?!" Sora, Donald, and Goofy exclaimed in stunned unison by such an outlandish proposition.

Yet even so, Kida confirmed it like it was nothing at all. "Yes."

Though there was plenty of shared, dumbfounded shock to go around at this news, Milo did his best to play it off a bit better than the gaping trio did. "Oh, w-well, uh… you look pretty-er, pretty good for your age!" he said, forcing out a chuckle as he tried to suppress an awkward blush. "Just, uh… y-you got another question for us?"

"Yes," Kida nodded, her tone turning serious as her sights settled on the trio. "You said you were familiar with the man in the black coat. Do you know what he is seeking here? I doubt that the extent of his plan is just to send his monsters out to cause simple, mindless chaos."

"You're right, it's not," Sora shook his head. "He's here for the same reason Donald, Goofy, and I are: to look for a special Key that-"

"A Key?!" Kida gasped the moment she heard this, her eyes going wide with fascination. "What does it look like? Do you know?"

"Yeah, it should look like this," Sora summoned one of the handful of Keys the trio had collected so far. "Why? Do you know anything about where we could find one here?"

At first, Kida offered no answer as she looked over the Key with wide eyes and an immensely fascinated expression. "It _is _real…" she whispered, awestruck.

"Kida?" Milo inquired, curious.

"My people do not remember most of the old legends and stories we once treasured before we were lost," the princess began. "But there is one that my mother used to tell me when I was little-I-I cannot recall much of what she said, but it was something about a key that can unlock the heart of the world…"

"That's gotta be it!" Sora exclaimed, knowing that a legend that rang so closely to exactly what the Keys were and what they were for couldn't be a mere coincidence. "Did that story say anything about how to find it?"

"N-no… I… I don't remember," Kida sighed, disappointed.

"The heart of the world…" Milo mused, flipping through his notes. "That _must _be the Heart of Atlantis!"

"What?" Kida asked, confused.

"The Heart of Atlantis," Milo reiterated. "Legend has it that your people possessed a power source of some kind that enabled them to become, well, basically much greater and more advanced than any other contemporary civilization. So if that Key is somehow connected to it, that means-"

"It's just like what we were talking about before!" Goofy chimed in.

"If we can find that heart-" Donald started.

"Then we'll find that Key!" Sora finished, already trusting such a solid lead.

"That's _all _I needed to hear…"

The entire group was caught completely off guard by this sudden intrusion into their conversation, one that came from behind one of the several pillars lining the walkway they were on. The one who had been apparently eavesdropping soon stepped into view, a man clad in an all-too familiar black coat that Kida was the first to recognize.

"You!" she shouted, pulling out a small, yet sharp knife as she took up an offensive stance. "How _dare _you show your face again after bringing those wretched creatures here to attack my people! I command you to take them and leave Atlantis at once!"

"My apologies, your highness," the man said, offering the princess a bow of clearly fake respect. "But I simply cannot leave until I've obtained what I came here for."

"You mean that Key, right?" Sora asked distrustfully, summoning his Keyblade as Donald and Goofy also took up their own weapons.

"Ah, Sora…" the Organization member's already haughty grin widened. "How… _refreshing _it is to see you again…"

"Again?" Sora looked to his companions in confusion, though neither of them seemed to recognize this particular Organization member either. "Uh… have we met before?"

"Oh, that's right," the Organization member mused. "I've been told you wouldn't remember a thing about our first-and _last_-encounter, and sure enough my colleagues were correct. I'd almost be interested in looking further into the intricacies behind your surprisingly complex memory loss… if I actually had the time to care about it."

"W-what are you‒ugh, whatever," Sora scoffed dismissively, not bothering to put any weight into the Organization member's cryptic claims. "You heard what Kida said: take those Nobodies of yours and get lost!"

"Now, now, that's no way to treat one of your soon-to-be associates," the Organization member chastised. "Besides, I'd be remiss if I didn't at least _re_-introduce myself. I am Vexen, Organization XIII's most premiere scholarly mind."

"Another scholar?" Kida questioned dubiously, glancing over to the linguist beside her.

"You sure aren't acting like one by sicking monsters on a bunch of innocent people!" Milo added with a firm scowl.

"That was merely a tactical move," Vexen said smoothly. "One meant to remove any potential obstacles out of my path. For you see, much like you and your motley crew, I'm here solely on matters of... research. And it just so happens that we also all seem to be here seeking answers about the exact same thing: a Key."

"You _won't _find it before we do," Sora shot back sternly. "And you _won't _be walking away with it either, not this time!"

"Oh, on the contrary, Sora," Vexen countered with an even grin. "I'd say I'm already well on my way to finding it, especially with the very helpful clue you and your friends just provided me with. The Key being tied to the heart of the world itself is hardly a novel concept; in fact, it's rather obvious, all things considered. But this so-called "Heart of Atlantis" is a promising lead, one that warrants a more thorough investigation indeed…"

Upon hearing this, Milo made sure that the Shepherd's Journal was safely tucked away out of sight as he spoke up as unflinchingly as he could. "W-well, you won't get very far if you're looking for the Heart either. As far as any of us know, it could be just about _anywhere _down here."

"Your concern is touching, but hardly necessary," Vexen scoffed, unmoved. "I have a feeling I'll deduce the location of both that Heart and its Key sooner or later. Though I suppose we'll just have to wait and see just who gets their hands on the prize we're all after first. But for now, since you all appear to be in a stand-still when it comes to your own rudimentary "research", why don't I leave you something to preoccupy your time with?" With a snap of his fingers, Vexen summoned both a pack of various Nobodies, along with a dark corridor for him to take his leave through. "Best of luck to you all," he turned to go, though not before offering the group one final devious smirk. "I know this goes without saying, but whoever makes it to the Heart first… _wins_."

With this, Vexen took off, leaving his Nobodies behind as they swiftly lurched forward to attack. Kida leapt to meet them first, armed only with her small knife and her own agility, yet she faced the monsters bravely, even if they clearly outmatched her. Donald and Goofy prepared to join her, and this time, Sora steadied his resolve to do the same, despite the nervous dread already starting to spark up in his heart once more. Though before he could run ahead into the fray, his companions were quick to stop him in his tracks.

"Sora, take Milo and hide!" Donald shouted, firing off a water spell at the Nobodies right off the bat. "We can take care of them!"

"Y-you don't have to tell me twice!" Milo said as he scrambled to take cover behind one of the nearby pillars. Sora, on the other hand, wasn't about to flee from this fight so easily.

"What? No!" he protested, upholding his steady grip on his Keyblade in the hopes that it could steady his nerves as well. "I can help this time!"

"We just don't want you freezing up again," Goofy said patiently even as he deflected a Nobody's attack using his shield. "Don't worry; like Donald said, we can handle this!"

"B-but… I…" Sora trailed off, unsure of how to argue his case further as his companions essentially kept the skirmish as far away from him as possible. And while he certainly did want to rush forward, Keyblade at the ready, to join them, ultimately he complied with their wishes and fell back behind another pillar.

But even as he leaned against that pillar, Sora couldn't help but feel largely bitter, both toward his companions and toward himself. Because even now that he had recovered, now that the poison was gone and he was actively able to use his Keyblade again, Donald and Goofy were still acting like he was every bit as incapacitated and incapable as he had been a month ago. They were acting like he was fragile, like he needed to be taken care of. Like he was _weak_.

And yet, that was a claim he couldn't even really argue against, especially after how he'd faltered in fear during that last battle. Even now that he felt at least a bit more prepared to face this new horde of Nobodies, there was no guarantee that he wouldn't seize up in terror again this time, or next time, or any time after that. The truth of it was, if that did in fact happen again, it was something he had no idea how to stop or control or break out of it. But that didn't mean he still wasn't going to try.

"Ugh, that's it!" Sora huffed impatiently, wasting no time in stepping out of hiding so he could properly join the fight. "I'm helping whether you guys want me to… or… not…" He paused, releasing his prepared grip on his Keyblade upon seeing that the skirmish was just wrapping up as Kida finished off the last of the Nobodies while Donald and Goofy tended to their own minor injuries from the brawl.

"See?" Donald said as he and Goofy looked Sora's way. "We told you we had it covered."

Sora didn't respond to this, instead glancing away crossly, his hands in tight fists at his sides. He knew well that all either Donald or Goofy wanted to do was help him, but lately that assistance felt as though it was coming at his own expense. Because instead of feeling like an equal member of the team alongside his companions, all he felt now was that he was far too feeble and useless to even be a member of that team at all.

"Is everyone ok?" Milo asked as he stepped back into the open himself.

"Yes," Kida replied, putting her knife away with a frustrated sigh. "Despite their numbers, those creatures are weak and cowardly, much like the man who brought them here."

"Say, about that Vexen fella," Goofy said to Sora and Donald, aside. "Wasn't he the one Ienzo warned us about? What did he say his name used to be again? ...Even?"

Donald nodded with a stern frown. "Looks like he went back to the Organization after all."

"Ugh, who _cares _about that?" Sora scowled, crossing his arms. "The only thing we need to worry about is keeping him from getting that Key."

"Gee, I guess that means we should be more careful from here on out," Goofy noted. "We don't want him overhearing any more clues we might find about it."

"I know a place we can go where he will not be able to spy on us," Kida spoke up, already taking off toward it. "Follow me."

The others didn't argue as they went after her lead, keeping a close eye out for any further signs of Vexen as they traveled down to one of Atlantis' lower levels. Yet as they slipped away, none of them noticed that they were still being watched, though not by the devious researcher. Rather, a lone figure stood upon one of the city's higher precipices, its long cape flowing gently in the wind as it kept its sights set on a familiar presence within the group below. A presence that had stolen something from it long ago, something that it had every intention of getting back, no matter what it took.

* * *

Kida took the group to a place that was, by all accounts, quite secluded: a low-level cove closed off by crumbling ruins entangled in ancient greenery. As far as any of them knew, they hadn't been followed there, which allowed their discussion of the Heart and the Key to continue as they slid down into the surprisingly open area.

"So this… 'Heart of Atlantis'," Kida began, looking to Milo in particular for answers. "How did you come to learn about it?"

"Oh, well, I read about it in this," Milo pulled the Shepherd's Journal out, which Kida quickly took so she could look over it for herself. "If it weren't for this book, we never would have made it down here in the first place."

Confusion and curiosity mingled in the princess's expression as she glanced over the book's cryptic pages. "You… can understand this?" she asked slowly.

"Yes, I'm a linguist," Milo pointed out, eager to see if she knew anything else about the Heart itself. "That's what I do, that's my job. Now, back to the matter at hand-"

"This, right here-" Kida interrupted, practically shoving the book into his face. "You can read _this_?!"

"Yes, yes, I can read Atlantean, just like you." Milo stopped short as Kida pulled away, looking over the journal fretfully, though she didn't seem to be understanding any of what it said at all. "...You can't… can you?"

"No one can," the princess informed wistfully. "Such knowledge has been lost to us since the time of the _Mehbelmok_."

"Oh… the Great Flood," Milo translated, largely for the sake of the confused trio beside him.

Kida paused for a moment, glancing around the area before she suddenly grabbed Milo to pull him along after her once more. "Here, let me show you something." The trio followed them as they went a bit further into the cove, where Kida pointed out three large shapes hidden away under an even larger sheet. She pulled that sheet away to reveal what seemed to be three identical stone statues, each of them quite impressive even as they rested completely dormant alongside each other.

"Whoa…" Sora mused, fascinated as he, Donald, and Goofy stepped forward to get a better look. "They kinda look like fish."

"They appear to be some sort of… vehicle," Milo added as he got in closer to inspect them himself.

"Yes," Kida nodded. "But no matter what I try, they will not respond. Perhaps if-"

"Way ahead of you," Milo grinned, leaning forward to look over the Atlantean inscription written onto one of the vehicles. "Ok, let's see what we got here… It says… 'place crystal into slot'..."

"Yes, yes, I have done that!" Kida huffed, exasperated.

"'Gently place your hand on the inscription pad'..."

"Yes!"

"Ok… did you turn the crystal one quarter turn back-"

"Yes, yes!"

"While your hand was on the inscription pad?"

"Ye-" Kida paused her anxious pacing at this. "...No."

"Ah, see? There's your problem right there," Milo grinned as he rose to stand once more. "That's an easy thing to miss. You know, you deserve credit for even getting this far." Kida offered him a dry look at this, one that the linguist responded to with an anxious chuckle as he stepped back to let her take over. "Uh, w-why don't you give it a try?"

The princess did so, removing her crystal necklace and following Milo's instructions as she worked with one of the vehicles. And sure enough, it worked as the runes carved onto the vehicle instantly lit up bright blue, it's unknown engine roaring to life as it suddenly rose to hover just above the ground entirely on its own accord.

"Wow! That's amazing!" Goofy exclaimed, expressing the awe they all felt at such an impressive sight.

"Can the other two do that too?" Donald asked curiously.

"Let us find out…" Kida moved to activate the pair of accompanying vehicles, and sure enough, her crystal quickly got both of them up and running, much to the group's shared, growing excitement.

"Oh, t-this is great!" Milo exclaimed, absolutely elated as he stepped up to one of the vehicles. "With this thing, we could see the whole city in no time at all!"

"We could use them to find the Heart, and the Key!" Sora chimed in with newfound hope that this search might not be so difficult after all.

"And they could be used to track down the rest of those monsters spread throughout the city," Kida added, resolved and eager to do what she could to protect her people. "What are we waiting for? Let us go at once!"

"Ok, then we just have to figure out how to steer them…" Milo said as he carefully climbed onto one of the vehicles. He extended a hand out to help Kida up onto it, though she was easily able to vault up onto the seat behind him, gripping his shoulders as she tried to make sense of how to control it.

"Perhaps if you tried pressing this?" she leaned forward past him to place her hand against the inscription pad once more. The vehicle reacted instantly, bolting forward with the pair still on it. As Kida retracted her hand to hold onto Milo for dear life, he rushed to slow its speedy pace by throwing his hand down on the pad himself, though that only resulted in the vehicle taking a sharp turn upward. The pair let out a shared cry of alarm as their vehicle rocketed up out of the cove entirely, leaving a very frantic trio behind.

"Milo! Kida!" Sora shouted after them before glancing back down to the pair of remaining vehicles before them. "We've gotta follow them! C'mon!"

He ran ahead to hop onto one of the vehicles, Donald and Goofy doing the same as they shared the other one. Needless to say, none of them had the faintest idea on how these strange vehicles actually worked, which was why they all took off in a very similar, haphazard manner to how Milo and Kida had before them. Fortunately, they somehow managed to avoid crashing into the cove walls (despite several close calls) as they eventually broke out of its upper exit at equally rapid speeds.

Now that they were out in the open air far above Atlantis itself, controlling the vehicles became much easier since there was relatively little to crash into up there. Milo and Kida seemed to have gained control of their own vehicle as well as it had slowed to a much more manageable pace, one that, with a little bit of doing, Sora, Donald, and Goofy eventually managed to catch up to.

"Hey! Are you guys ok?" Sora asked the pair over the rushing wind as he pulled his vehicle up beside theirs.

"W-well, we're not dead, so yeah, I'd say we're doing pretty good," Milo let out something of a relieved chuckle as Kida sent a wry grin his way. He stopped short, however, as he spared a glance over the edge of the vehicle, which by now was flying quite high above Atlantis itself. This high vantage point allowed a full, incredible view of the ancient city and its towering, titanic spires and structures. It was a beautiful sight, to say the least, one that Milo couldn't help but be rather emotional about, especially considering just how much it took for him to _finally _get there.

"What is wrong?" Kida inquired, leaning in closer to him as she noticed the tears starting to well up in the linguist's eyes.

"Oh, i-it's nothing. I just… got something in my eye," he quickly wiped those early tears dry as he allowed his content, genuine smile to take over. "You know, my grandpa used to tell me stories about this place as far back as I can remember. I just wish he could be here with me to see it now..."

"I am sure he would be proud of your perseverance," Kida assured warmly.

"Thanks," Milo returned her kind smile, though he was quick to perk up once more as he looked back to the trio flying nearby. "Alright, fellas, let's find that Heart and its Key!"

"Right!" they exclaimed in solid, unified agreement. Milo led the way as he pushed his vehicle oneward, allowing it to go a bit faster so they could circle the city from above. The trio followed suit not far behind him, each of them quite impressed by the wide layout of Atlantis they were getting from above. But even beyond that, the ride itself was quite thrilling as their vehicles zoomed easily through the sky (or at least through what counted for the sky in a place as buried below the depths as Atlantis was). It was a liberating, exciting experience for all of them, one that would hopefully help lead them to the answers, and perhaps even the precious prize they were searching for.

And yet, even that was too much to really hope for. The group had just rounded another wide lap around the city, yet there were still no apparent signs or clues pointing toward what they needed to find. They were just about to take their search back down to the ground, when a sudden boom erupted from somewhere far below them, one that was just as easily heard by the group flying high above. However, before any of them could so much as take a glance down to see where the clamor had come from, a massive beam of blinding energy shot up from below, directly at them. And in seconds, that beam tore through the tail of the very vehicle Sora happened to be riding on in an explosive, devastating blast.

The fallout was immediate as the immense force of the blast knocked Sora off the vehicle, which was already completely ruined as it ran out of power on the spot as it began to fall from the sky. The next several moments that followed went by far too slowly and far too quickly all at once, and just like before in that first fight against the Nobodies, Sora hardly even felt aware for any of them. Instead, everything happened in a distant, muddled blur, from the sharp burst of pain that flashed through his body as a result of the explosion (which had only narrowly missed hitting him), to the fading sound of Donald, Goofy, Milo, and Kida alike all sending panicked, alarmed shouts after him from above. In fact, he barely even realized he was falling at all, plummeting through the air at what should have been a terrifying rate. That is, until he landed.

Fortunately, said landing happened in one of the many deep bays surrounding the city. The moment Sora splashed hard into the cool water, he was instantly snapped out of his former spell of shock. The sharp sting of his sudden landing was all but forgotten as he sunk deep into the water, accidentally taking in a mouthful of it as he let out a sharp, involuntary gasp. Choking on the lack of air, he panicked and wasted no time in swimming toward the surface, realizing that he'd fallen in relatively close to a stony dock of some sorts. And even better yet, as he raced to break out of the water and back out into the air, he noticed a hand reaching into the water, as it extended out to apparently help him.

However, as he reached it, the hand suddenly lashed out, grabbing him by the wrist and harshly yanking him up out of the water. Sora didn't have much of a chance to see who his supposed "rescuer" was as they roughly pulled up onto the stony ground, which he collapsed against amidst coughing and choking out the water he'd inadvertently swallowed. Yet even then, he had barely any time to recover, much less make sense of what had just happened, as a pair of metallic feet suddenly stepped into his field of view.

Wearily, Sora managed to glance up to find a sight that was just about the very _last _thing he'd been expecting. Because standing right before him was a sturdy, armored figure, dully shining gold and orange with a long, tan cape unfurled out behind it as it gripped a powerful Keyblade in its hand. An armored figure that Sora knew he'd seen before, that he'd _faced _before in battle. And, an armored figure that was steadily moving its Keyblade into place high above his prone, defenseless form with the obvious intent to destroy.

"_Finally_," it spoke, hints of vengeful anger filling its otherwise hollow tone as it prepared to finish the job it had started over a decade ago. _"I've found you… Xehanort_."

* * *

**Ohohohoh man! Looks like I'm leaving you all on a cliffhanger again! And on the Lingering Will showing up no less, oh man, aren't I a stinker? ;) Anyway, this oughta shape up for something really interesting at the start of the next chapter! Along with all of the other cool things I've got planned for the second half of our Atlantis adventure! But for now, don't forget to leave your thoughts about this chapter in the REVIEWS! Stay safe out there! Until next time! :) **


	25. Chapter 24: Where the Dream Takes You

_Oo boy well this one ended up being longer than I wanted it to. But only because lot happens in it, including several things that will be pretty important later on, so you'd do well to pay close attention! Either way I like how it turned out, so let's finish off the second half of our Atlantean adventure with a bang and get started!_

* * *

_Chapter 24: Where the Dream Takes You_

_Where the dream takes you  
(Where the dream takes your heart)  
Where your heart longs to be  
(Your dream will lead you on)  
When you finally find that place  
You'll find all you need  
Where the dream takes you_

By some miracle or chance or something else entirely, Sora somehow had the wits about him to roll out of the path of the armored figure's Keyblade just before it could land its devastating blow. He was still soaking wet, still completely out of breath, and still under attack as the armored figure pulled its weapon back up to come in for another strike. Its movements were swift and precise and deadly, or at least they would have been if Sora hadn't haphazardly scrambled to his feet to avoid yet another heavy swing. It said nothing outside of its original remark, one that Sora was still largely reeling from as much as he was from this sudden, daunting encounter in general. After all, he hadn't even seen this armored figure in quite some time, not since his first decisive battle he'd fought against it alongside Donald and Goofy quite some time ago, a battle the trio had barely even managed to win, much less make it out of alive. As a result, he knew all-too well just how incredibly powerful and steadfast this unknown warrior was, even if its motivations for coming all the way here and assaulting him out of the blue like this were a complete mystery.

By now, Sora had absently summoned his Keyblade on instinct, though he'd made no move to attack or even defend against the warrior's maneuvers. Instead, the most he could do was narrowly dodge them, his mind and heart both racing with rising fear and panic. Briefly, he glanced around for any sort of assistance he could find, hoping to see Donald and Goofy rushing to his aid in particular, but instead he was quick to realize that the dock they were on was more or less abandoned. Which meant that he was left to fend off a threat that could very easily destroy him in a matter of minutes entirely _alone_.

While he normally would have tried his hardest to brazenly fight back against such a threat, Sora knew that doing so now would only lead to devastation, especially with his strength as limited as it currently was. So instead, he decided to utilize a different tactic instead, one that, by all accounts, was every bit as risky as fighting back would have been.

"W-wait!" he finally spoke up, his voice hitching in fear that he didn't even try to hide. His Keyblade was shaking in his uncertain grip as he took a large step backward, though the warrior slowly continued its approach, its own weapon ready for its next attack even as Sora made an anxious attempt at reasoning with it. "I-I… I don't want to fight you!"

"_No_,_" _the warrior responded simply, not a single hint of any sort of emotion in its tone as it raised its Keyblade high once again. _"You don't."_

Sora gasped, having no time to react as the warrior brought its Keyblade down in a strike that actually landed this time. The dull side of the broad weapon hit him hard in his side, sending him flying back until he crashed into the crumbling ruins of a broken statue. The impact alone was agonizing, but Sora forced himself to ignore the pain so he could rush to pick himself back up before the warrior could beset him once more. He made good use of the brief bout of time he had to put some distance between himself and the warrior by slipping out of sight behind a nearby column as he shakily continued his nervous appeal. "W-why are you doing this?" he asked, pressing tightly against the pillar as the warrior began searching the area for him. "What do you even want?!"

"_You know exactly what I want," _the warrior spoke, its mighty Keyblade tearing through another one of the courtyard's pillars, though fortunately not the one Sora was hiding behind. _"My body, my heart… Xehanort… It's time for you to give them both back!"_

Sora shuddered as the warrior mistook him for Xehanort once more, not even needing to wonder about how it had come to make that connection considering what he now knew. Still, that didn't mean he had to accept such an accusation willingly. "I… I am _not_ Xehanort!" he retorted as firmly as he possibly could.

"_...You're lying," _the warrior responded after a beat of silence amidst his hunt. _"I can feel his darkness in your heart, just like I felt it inside my own."_

"You… what?" Sora didn't have time to pursue this question any further as he heard the warrior's Keyblade slam into the column he had taken refuge behind. He barely managed to run out of the way of the falling debris, and though he thought he was in the clear, he quickly found he wasn't as the warrior suddenly appeared directly behind him. He only had time to move his Keyblade to block its next blow, though it did relatively little against such a powerful swipe. The force of it alone tore the Kingdom Key from his grip, leaving him defenseless as he began to fall backward. Yet before he could land, the warrior suddenly caught him, reaching down to tightly grasp the front of his shirt before it harshly yanked him upward into the air.

Sora tried his best to struggle against the armored figure's hold, but there was ultimately nothing he could do to stop the warrior from using its other hand to secure a tight, unyielding grip around his neck. It didn't hesitate to restrict that grip almost immediately, and it wasn't very long at all until Sora found himself gasping for air he couldn't receive as the warrior slowly yet steadily began to strangle him while he dangled helplessly from its hand.

"S-stop…" he choked as loudly as he could, his hands tightly clenched against the much larger one holding onto his throat.

"_No," _the warrior didn't even flinch at such a desperate plea. _"I won't stop. Not until I take back what you stole from me."_

"I-I… I don't… I c-can't…" Sora tried to argue, though by this point, every single breath he tried to take was a struggle. His limbs had grown weak and numb and eventually still as the edges of his vision grew dark and blurry, his head light and his thoughts distant as hot tears welled up in his eyes. "S-stop… _please_…" he begged one last time, his voice practically inaudible as consciousness began to slip away from him. Yet just before it could, a sudden echo rang out from the depths of his heart, an echo he only barely managed to make known in a fading, feeble whisper. "T-Terra…"

The warrior's reaction to this was sharp and immediate. In an instant, it released its oppressive hold on Sora completely, allowing him to fall to the ground at its feet. The moment he was free, Sora wasted no time in taking in a large gasp of air to try and make up for what he had lost as he listlessly lay against the stony ground he had collapsed upon. Still, when he managed to steal a breathless glance up at the warrior, he noticed it taking a step back from him, its manner largely unreadable as ever, though its body language almost seemed to reveal some sort of genuine surprise. And that surprise almost, _almost _spilled into its tone as it spoke once more. _"No… It can't be…" _it shook its head as it stared down at Sora incredulously. _"Ven…?"_

Sora gasped again, though this time it wasn't for air this time. Instead, his vision suddenly shifted, the armored warrior's appearance taking on _that of a friend, one who would never hurt him, who had always strived to protect him, even when he stubbornly, foolishly believed he didn't need that protection. He had chased after that friend from the very start, eagerly following his lead in the hopes of showing him that he could be just as strong, just as brave, just as dependable as he was. And now, years later, after so much loss and separation, even if neither of them were really as they should have been, he'd finally, _finally _found him again. _

"_When I really need you, Ven," he had said so long ago now. "I know you'll be there."_

"_I'm here now, Terra," he wanted, _needed _to say, _but the words wouldn't come. _"I'm here…"_

And just like that it was over, the connection broken as reality set in once more. Sora had no idea what to say as he continued trying to catch his breath, staring up at the warrior in dumbfounded silence all the while. For its own part, the warrior also kept its sights trained on him, its Keyblade gone though it was still clearly on guard for _something_, though Sora had no idea what. _"How can this be…?" _it's hollow voice filled in the newfound silence between them. _"Xehanort… _and_ Ven…? Who… _What _are you…?"_

As shaken and shellshocked as he currently was, Sora struggled to so much as even speak to answer this question, to finally set the record straight. "I… I'm-"

"Sora!" Donald and Goofy's shared, distressed outcry echoed through the surrounding area, a sure sign that they were finally on their way. And while normally Sora would have been immensely relieved by their arrival, now he thought they couldn't have come at any worse of a time as the warrior prepared to retreat.

"_This isn't over," _it said, stopping short as it turned away from him. _"I promise I'm either going to stop you… or save you, whoever you are."_

In a matter of seconds, the warrior called upon its powerful Keyblade once more, tossing it into the air as it somehow transformed into some sort of glider-type vehicle, one that it wasted no time in deftly leaping onto. "Wait!" Sora shouted after it, trying and failing to pick himself up off the ground to go pursue it. "Don't… go…"

He trailed off into a disappointed sigh as the warrior jetted off into the air, making its retreat just in time for Donald and Goofy to arrive. The pair rushed to Sora's side as soon as they spotted him, both of them readily fretting over him as they noticed how beaten and disheveled and stunned he seemed to be. "Sora! We're so glad we found you!" Goofy exclaimed, placing a steadying hand on his shoulder. "Are you ok?"

"Look at your neck!" Donald started, noticing the rather dark bruises the warrior had left on Sora's throat. Bruises that the magician quickly cast a timely, generous healing spell over. "What happened to you?!"

For his part, Sora didn't answer or really even regard either of his companions. Instead, he kept his sights silently set on the sky, or rather on the armored warrior as it flew further and further away. All the while, he could feel his own heart brim with a kind of grief he didn't quite understand, one that was still potent enough to nearly draw out tears as some small part of him wordlessly begged the warrior to return. _For his friend to come home. _

By now, Donald and Goofy had noticed the retreating warrior themselves, even if it was quite far into the sky to the point that it was barely even visible from their spot on the ground anymore. "Say…" Goofy began, squinting to get a better view of the distant warrior. "Isn't that the armored fella we fought that one time…?"

"I think so…" Donald agreed, confused. "What's he doing all the way out here?"

Sora jolted at this, grounding himself back in the present as much as he possibly could as he finally addressed his companions' wonderings. "I… I think that was… Terra…" he said softly, sadly almost.

"What?!" Donald and Goofy exclaimed in unified bafflement.

"How do ya know?" the captain asked, aptly bewildered.

"I didn't," Sora admitted as he gently skimmed a hand over his heart. "_Ventus _did…"

The pair exchanged a bewildered glance at this, neither of them sure of what to make of this news as they tried to simply make sense of it above all else. "But… that's impossible!" Donald countered. "You heard what the king and Riku said: the Organization has Terra! How could that guy be him?"

"I _know _what I felt," Sora protested firmly as he accepted Goofy's aid in standing. "And what I heard. It said… it said Xehanort stole its heart and body. So maybe… what's in that armor is what's left of Terra's mind? Or his memories or _something_..."

"Gawrsh… if that's true then Terra must be pretty strong for a piece of him to have survived all this time!" Goofy noted, quite impressed.

"Yeah…" Sora agreed, frowning as he looked to the now-empty sky. "...We've got to help it."

"You want to _help _it? Right after it _attacked _you!?" Donald asked incredulously.

"It only did that because it thought I was-" Sora stopped short just before he could say too much, the warrior's cold accusations still chilling him in a way he didn't dare let show to his companions. "It… didn't know who I was. It stopped as soon as it started thinking I was Ventus. I guess it must have sensed his heart in mine."

"Well, shucks, Sora, we definitely wanna do whatever we can to help Terra," Goofy said earnestly. "Where do you think we should start?"

"I… don't know…" Sora sighed once more, looking to his heart for answers only to receive no feedback from it this time around. "I don't think Ventus does either. B-but, there's gotta be _something _we can do! We just need to figure it out."

"Aren't you forgetting something? _Again_?" Donald asked, crossing his arms. "We still need to find that Key, remember?"

"I know," Sora agreed, finally taking on something of a hopeful smile. "But who says we can't do both at once?"

While the magician let out a bit of an exasperated grumble at this, the captain couldn't help but let out a small, jovial chuckle as he muttered to him, aside. "Well, at least it looks like he's finally getting some of his optimism back."

"I think you mean his bad meddling habit back…" Donald retorted dryly.

"Speaking of the Key," Sora spoke up as he started to lead the way out of the area. "What happened to Milo and Kida?"

"They went ahead to keep lookin' for the Heart of Atlantis," Goofy informed. "They were both pretty worried about you after that crash, but we told them we'd find you and catch up with them later."

"Yeah, we figured we might as well take charge in coming to your rescue, _as usual_," Donald teased lightly, though the joke hardly struck a chord with Sora.

"You _didn't _come to my rescue," he clarified harshly, turning away from the pair. "I didn't _need _to be rescued to begin with."

Donald and Goofy exchanged a nervous glance at this, their shared levity quickly fading at their young companion's almost bitter response. They both prepared to speak to it in the hopes of easing his apparent frustration, though before they could get a word out, a sudden blast, a loud gunshot to be exact, rang out across the entire city, followed in rapid succession by several more, all topped off by a momentous explosion to finish the heavy racket off.

"W-what was that?!" Donald exclaimed, aptly alarmed.

"It sounded like it was coming from near the palace," Goofy pointed out, concerned.

"Let's go check it out," Sora continued pressing on ahead, with his companions following not too far behind.

The trio wasn't exactly sure what they'd find as they neared the palace, though their first shared suspicion was that Vexen or the horde of Nobodies he'd brought along with him were on the attack once more. Yet, as they made it to the center of the city itself, all seemed eerily quiet, almost as if the peaceful Atlanteans who lived there had been forced to hide away out of sight. And when the trio snuck their way into the palace itself and toward the throne room, they were quick to find that this new round of danger wasn't coming from any sort of Nobody or Organization member. Rather, the threat was from the very crew they'd come to the city with in the first place.

The scene the trio found was one of chaos and upheaval. The large stone doors leading to the throne room had been blown to bits, the king's guards forced to stand down as the crew spread out to search the room with no sense of civility whatsoever. But what was most surprising were the deadly weapons each of them toted, guns and knives alike as they pilfered the area almost violently. And at the center of it all stood Rourke and Helga as they used their own weapons to threaten a very upset, quite distressed Milo and Kida.

"You're not applying yourself, son," the commander coldly accused the linguist, forcefully shoving the Shepherd's Journal at him. "There's got to be something else!"

"Look, I already told you, this isn't a good idea," Milo retorted, shifting a brief, worried glance over at Kida, who was being tightly restrained by Helga, despite her brazen struggle to escape. "You don't know what you're tampering with here, Rourke."

"What's to know?" Rourke shrugged, unconcerned. "It's big, it's shiny, it's going to make us all _rich_."

"That's not true," Milo argued. "You think it's some kind of diamond, I thought it was some kind of battery, but we're _both _wrong! It's their life force; that crystal-that _heart _is the only thing keeping these people alive! You take that away and they'll _die_."

"Well, that changes things," Rourke said almost mockingly. "Helga, what do you think?"

"Knowing that, I'd _double _the price," Helga remarked, ignoring Kida's resilient attempts to lash out at her.

"I was thinking _triple_."

"Rourke, don't do this," Milo protested once more, desperately. "You can't just-"

"Hey!" Sora interrupted as he, Donald, and Goofy fully stepped into the room, their weapons already drawn as everyone turned their attention to the trio. "What's going on here?"

"Sora!" Milo exclaimed, clearly relieved. "Donald! Goofy! Boy, am I glad to see you guys!"

"So am I," Rourke interjected as he stepped past the linguist, holding him back all the while. "You boys made it just in time. I was just thinking we could use some backup to help us speed things along…"

"Speed _what _along?" Sora asked suspiciously.

"Do not listen to him!" Kida suddenly spoke up, harshly pulling against Helga's hold. "They are trying to take-" Before the princess could get another word out, the lieutenant quickly silenced her by slapping her free hand over her mouth. Yet that didn't stop Milo from picking up where she'd left off.

"They tricked us!" the linguist explained as quickly as he could. "They're after the Heart of Atlantis, they want to steal it! You guys can't let them-" Milo didn't get a chance to finish either as Rourke put an end to his brief retelling by pointing his pistol directly at him, much to the trio's immense alarm.

"That's enough, son," the commander remarked condescending, ignoring the linguist's angry glare as he looked back to the trio. "Now, you fellas _did _agree to help us out down here… didn't you?"

"We agreed to help you fend off the Nobodies," Sora objected, upholding his offensive grip on his Keyblade. "We _didn't _agree to help you hurt people."

"Yeah, that's right!" Goofy readily agreed.

"Let Milo and Kida go!" Donald added just as adamantly.

Rourke, however, hardly cared for their resistance as he instead met it with an almost disappointed sigh. "I really hate it when negotiations go sour… Guess we'll have to tie up these loose ends after all." Almost as soon as he said this, without any warning at all, the commander turned his gun around and fired off a round of shots directly at the trio. They barely even had time to react to the sudden attack, though while Goofy managed to block the brunt of it with his shield and Donald narrowly evaded it by leaping out of the way, Sora wasn't so lucky. One of the bullets managed to catch him across the shoulder, only lightly grazing it but leaving behind a heavy sting and a bleeding wound that nearly knocked him off his feet entirely.

"Stop!" Milo shouted, not hesitating to race forward to try and stop this senseless violence, only to come to a grinding halt as Rourke turned his gun back on him. Thankfully he didn't fire it this time, though only really because he had a clear and present use for the linguist, at least for now.

"Let's try this again," the commander said, holding up the journal's missing page for Milo to see. At the same time, he snapped his fingers, prompting Helga to position her own gun in turn, aiming it at Kida as an extra form of reinforcement. "_Where _is that treasure?"

Milo set his jaw at this, sending Rourke a hateful scowl that only wavered as he glanced away from the commander. Kida kept her sights on him, her eyes betraying the fear her otherwise severe expression hid away as she shook her head silently, even despite the weapon pressed tight against her back. At the same time, Donald and Goofy were focusing their attention on tending to Sora's relatively minor injury, with the magician casting a potent healing spell to mostly patch it up, though that hardly set any of them to ease after what had happened. All the while, a handful of the surrounding crew members watched on with expressions that almost seemed to convey sympathy and concern, though none of them made so much as a single move to stop or oppose Rourke's aggressive tactics.

"Look," Milo let out a relenting sigh as he looked over the lost page once more. "I don't know where the heart is. All it says is 'the Heart of Atlantis lies in the eyes of her king'."

"Well, then maybe Old King Cole here can help us fill in the blanks," Rourke roughly tossed Milo aside to approach the king himself. The mostly-recovered trio moved to stop him, only for Helga to keep them where they were by strong-arming Kida once more, silently reminding them just how delicate and uncertain this entire situation really was. "What about it, chief?" the commander interrogated the king as some of his masked cronies crowded around him. "Where's the crystal chamber?"

"You will destroy yourselves," the king advised, gripping his staff firmly.

"...Maybe I'm not being clear." With this, Rourke lashed out, landing a brutal blow to the king's abdomen, one that easily sent the already feeble ruler falling to the ground. Kida let out a harsh outcry in Atlantean at this, fiercely protesting such a vicious, unnecessary attack against her defenseless father, and this time, she wasn't the only one to oppose it.

"Rourke, this was _not _part of the plan," Dr. Sweet spoke up as he leaned down to check on the heavily injured king.

"Plans change, doc," Rourke said as he moved to take a seat on the now-empty throne. "I suggest you put a bandage on that bleeding heart of yours. It doesn't suit a mercenary. Same goes for you three," he addressed the trio, wryly brandishing his pistol once more. "Unless you want more where that last round came from."

"Go ahead!" Sora challenged, perhaps a bit too brazenly, especially after the almost dangerous scrape he'd gotten last time. "Do your wor-"

"Sora!" Donald and Goofy both snapped to silence him, knowing that his resilient, reckless attitude would do nothing for them right now.

Fortunately, Rourke largely ignored his outburst as he aimed his gun toward the king instead. "Well, as usual, diplomacy has failed us," he remarked, smirking coolly all the while. "Now, I'm going to count to 10, and you're going to tell me where the crystal is. One… two…" The commander cocked his gun, pointing it directly at the weakened king, much to the genuine surprise of several of the surrounding crew members as they realized just how far he was going with this. To violent, malicious lengths that none of them had really expected this to go. "_Nine_… Te-"

Rourke paused as he happened to glance just past the king, toward the center of his throne room instead. There, lying in the shallow water covering most of the chamber, was a sent of stones, specifically arranged into a familiar symbol. The very same symbol that rested on the cover of the Shepherd's Journal itself. "The Heart of Atlantis lies in the eyes of its king…" he repeated with a growing, greedy smile. "This is it. We're in." Without skipping a beat, the commander marched toward the center of the room, carelessly tossing the journal back to Milo along the way.

"Rouke, for the last time, you've _got _to listen to me!" Milo argued intently, even if he knew it wouldn't do any good. "You don't have the slightest idea of what this power is capable of!"

"True, but I can think of a few countries who'd pay _anything _to find out," Helga piped up, tightening her hold on Kida as she dragged her along after Rourke. Milo found he had no choice but to follow, largely for the princess's sake more than anything else, though if there was any chance that this madness could be stopped somehow, he knew he'd gladly take it along the way.

Sure enough, the entrance the commander was looking for was indeed at the center of the throne room, for as he stepped on a previously concealed platform, which began to rumble and lower into whatever lay below it. "You three! Get on!" Rourke shouted to the trio, using Milo as leverage to force them to comply as he yanked him onto the platform and held him at gunpoint. "There's no telling what we'll find down there. And like I keep saying, we can always use the extra _muscle_."

Though the last thing the trio wanted to do was aid in this twisted campaign, they joined the group all the same, hoping they could at the very least protect Milo and Kida if nothing else. The platform slowly lowered itself underground, into a deep, dark, cavernous chamber, though it was hardly empty. For floating high above the small pool far below it, was a bright, radiant blue light, one that was surrounded by a collection of large, carved stone masks floating gently around it, protecting the very life-giver of the lost empire itself:

The Heart of Atlantis.

As the platform reached the bottom of the cavern, just about everyone stood in awe of such an unbelievable sight, all except for Rourke, who simply smirked in satisfaction at the prize he'd just found. "Jackpot," he remarked, more than ready to make this incredible treasure his own.

At the same time, however, Kida let out a small, soft gasp, especially as she realized exactly who the stone masks surrounding the heart were depicting. "T-the kings of our past…" she whispered, tears welling up in her eyes. Instantly, she collapsed to the ground, bowing in deepest reverence to the homages of these past rulers as she uttered a quiet Atlantean prayer all the while.

Still, Rourke hardly cared for the princess' show of respect as he simply sneered in her direction. "Thatch, tell her to wrap it up," he told Milo unsympathetically. "We got a schedule to meet."

Though Milo glared after the commander as he continued to approach the heart, he still did as he was told, approaching Kida as he broke her out of her worship as gently as he could. "Um… Kida?" he said, slowly helping her back up. "I'm sorry…"

Meanwhile, the trio hung close together amidst both this new discovery and the tense straits they were still under, knowing there was little they could do so long as Rourke and Helga still had the advantage, and the firepower, above them all. Even so, they still had their own mission in mind, even if that mission had grown much more complicated in light of what they'd just gotten themselves into. "So… if this is the Heart of Atlantis…" Goofy began, aside. "Then where's the Key?"

"No idea…" Donald shook his head. "Any ideas, Sora?"

For a long moment, Sora said nothing, his sights instead set on the Heart of Atlantis high above them. When he did say something however, his voice was strangely soft and subdued and every bit as distant as his mind suddenly felt, as everything else around him suddenly felt, save for the heart and the heart alone. "It's here…" he said, his eyes never drifting away from the heart whatsoever.

"It is?" Donald asked dubiously. "Where?"

"Here…" Sora repeated, his voice even quieter this time to the point that it was practically a whisper.

"...What?" the magician asked, still not following in the slightest.

"Say, don't you usually have to feel some certain kind of emotion to get it to show up?" Goofy asked Sora, who hardly seemed to be listening at all. "Maybe you just gotta feel whatever that emotion is right here in front of the heart!"

"That's not how it works!" Donald argued.

"Garwsh, then how _does _it work?"

"Well, it… uh… mm… I don't know! Ask Sora! _He's _the one that found the first three to begin with!"

"Ok, then what do you think, Sora?" Goofy asked, only to not receive any sort of answer at all.

Because instead of even being remotely tuned into his companions' conversation, Sora was still completely transfixed by the Heart of Atlantis, largely unable to look at or even think about anything else. Donald and Goofy tried garnishing his attention once more, going as far as to lightly pull on his arm to try and rouse him, only to no avail.

They didn't get much of another chance, however, as the Heart of Atlantis suddenly sparked bright red above them, reacting in response to Rourke absently kicking a stray rock into the sacred pool below it. The heart's once calm blue glow took on a fiery, angry aura, one that dully filled the rest of the cavern and everyone in it its crimson glow.

"Come on, let's get this over with," Helga muttered to the commander. "I don't like this place."

"Alright, Thatch, what's next?" Rourke asked, turnin to the linguist expectantly.

"Ok, well, there's a giant crystal hovering 150 feet above our heads over a bottomless pit of water," Milo began, bitter sarcasm filling his tone. "Doesn't _anything _surprise you?"

"The only thing that surprises me is that thing's not on the truck yet.'

As the pair continued their debate over what to do next, the others all failed to realize the large beams of light the heart was emitting, beams that hovered around the cavern almost like spotlights in search of something. One of those spotlights happened to pass over Sora, instantly shifting back to its previously gentle blue glow as it did. At the same time, that glow seemed to transfer to his eyes as they stayed set on the heart, banishing any hints of unnatural gold that had found a place within them as it instead flooded them with its own radiant blue, one that was much brighter and much more otherworldly than their usual blue could have ever been. And as it did, everything else around him completely faded into obscurity altogether, nothing else mattering in the slightest but the heart and the connection his own heart had somehow managed to make with it.

Another one of the heart's lights settled on Kida, namely catching onto the crystal hanging from her neck, almost as if it was calling it toward its source. The princess smiled softly as she felt its familiar warmth resonate with her, and, much like it had with Sora, it also overtook her eyes with its gleaming light. Though the biggest difference for her was that it actually began beckoning her toward it, in an unspoken voice that was so familiar she could have sworn she'd heard it somewhere before. And it offered her a call, a summon that tugged on her heart so strongly that she couldn't have resisted it even if she tried.

"Now, move it!" Rourke continued, issuing his impatient order at Milo.

"I don't know _how _to move it," Milo insisted, severely annoyed. "I don't even know what's holding it up… there…" He trailed off as he noticed Kida suddenly step past him, still engulfed in the heart's light as she continued staring up at its enthralling light all the while. Milo didn't hesitate to try to stop her, though Rourke held him back before he could even take a single step as the princess kept going.

"Talk to me, Thatch. What's happening?" the commander said as almost everyone turned to watch Kida instead of the heart. Everyone except for Sora, who was still every bit as captivated by the heart as the princess herself was.

"L-look, all it says here is the crystal is alive somehow," Milo began, motioning to the Shepherd's Journal. "It… I-I don't know how to explain it. It's their deity, their power source."

"Speak _English_, professor."

"They're a part of it, it's a part of them," Milo concluded with a heavy sigh. "Look, I'm doing the best I can here!"

"Well, do better," the commander scowled as he started to pull his pistol out once more.

"Oh, I know, why don't _you _translate and _I'll _wave the gun around?!" the linguist countered harshly, only to be interrupted by none other than Kida herself.

The princess spoke in Atlantean, her voice steady yet devoid of any sort of emotion as she turned to face the group on shore, her eyes still alight with the heart's mysterious power as she said something only Milo, with his years of experience studying the language, could understand. _"All will be well, Milo Thatch," _she said, her vacant eyes settling on the linguist in particular. _"Be not afraid."_

Milo barely managed to hold back a small sigh of relief at this, especially as Rourke glared back at him. "What'd she say?"

"I-I don't know," the linguist lied. "I… didn't catch it."

At this, Kida turned back toward the heart once more, still following its call even out onto the pool itself as she stepped out not just into the water, but _onto _it. She walked upon its surface, never once sinking beneath it as she slowly but surely continued to approach the heart, much to the genuine awe of everyone watching from the shore. Once the princess reached the center of the pool, she stopped directly under the heart itself, the stone effigies surrounding it starting to slowly pull themselves away from it just for her. As they parted, they revealed a complete view of the Heart of Atlantis, though the heart itself was still largely focused on Kida as its multiple beams of light all converged on her crystal, dilating over it before its power spread through her from it. And still its clarion call continued, to the point that the heart began to draw the princess toward it, pulling her up from the water and ascending her into the air, slowly, carefully holding her in its thrall so she could come to meet it. When she did, the heart welcomed her openly, pulling her into the orb of sacred light it was composed of and enveloping her with that light completely. The stone masks reconverged around them both at this, spinning faster and faster around it as the heart took on a practically blinding glow, one that eventually dimmed only somewhat to reveal the crystal that was the mythical Heart of Atlantis itself.

Or rather, the entirely new form the heart had taken on.

It would have been easy to think that the heart had disappeared entirely, but that was far from the truth. The masks slowed once more and floating gracefully, peacefully in their midst, was none other than Kida. Her entire body was shining blue and transparently crystalline, brimming with pure, raw, commanding energy. To the awestruck, bystanding group far below her, she hardly even seemed to be human, and by all accounts, she wasn't, at least not anymore. For not only had the Heart of Atlantis called her to it; it had bonded with her, infused itself with her, intertwined with her in every way possible.

The Heart of Atlantis had, quite literally, _become _the heart of its princess.

She descended slowly, her entire form still aglow with the heart's power as she landed to the water below her once more. Since she was somewhat within reach once more, Milo made the first move to approach her, desperate to know if she was even remotely alright after what had just happened to her. Yet before he could take so much as a single step, Rourke was quick to stop him, his tone just as unimpressed and callous as ever, despite the incredible event he'd just bore witness to. "Hold your horses, lover boy."

Milo crossly ignored him, returning his focus back to the princess, who remained still and silent as she hovered just above the surface of the water. "K-Kida…?" he dared to venture, unsure of what kind of response he'd get. She didn't speak to answer him, though she did open her eyes, which were completely blank, bright voids of light, devoid of any sort of expression or emotion or anything that made Kida _herself_. "Kida…" Milo shook his head, wondering and worrying if there was anything really left of the princess he'd come to grow quite fond of at all.

Her movements were still just as steady and sedated as she began to walk forward across the water. As she did, the stone effigies that had once surrounded her began to collapse from their spot in the air, crashing down into the pool and creating heavy, towering waves that never once hit her. She remained unphased, her sights set ahead of her as she reached the shore and the group standing upon it. Rourke reached out to restrain her, though Milo immediately protested, unsure of how safe doing so would actually be. "No, d-don't… don't touch her…" he cautioned, still watching her to see where she'd go or what she'd do next.

She finally did come to a stop, however, directly in front of Sora. From the moment they'd first arrived in the underground chamber, he had kept his focus solely on the Heart of Atlantis, something that hadn't changed even as the heart itself did. His own eyes were nowhere near as empty as the princess's were, but they did reflect the same sort of ethereal glow to accompany their similarly vacant expressions. Her manner was still all but unknowable as she slowly turned to face him, offering him what almost seemed to be a small, but respectful bow paired with an unspoken message only he could somehow hear:

_You are not where you belong…_

"I know…" he softly answered aloud, some very small, practically obscured part of his heart speaking for him. All the while, he still remained completely entranced, even as the princess began to move on and even as his companions finally took notice of the full extent of whatever spell the heart had put him under.

"Sora!" Goofy exclaimed, aptly alarmed as both he and Donald stopped their young companion short as he tried to follow the princess and the heart. "What's the matter? Is something wrong?!"

"Something _is _wrong! Just look at his eyes!" Donald piped up adamantly. Sure enough, Sora didn't spare so much as a single glance at either one of them, his bright, practically glowing eyes still watching the princess, still watching the heart even as they both walked away. "Snap out of it, will you?!" Donald shouted to Sora as Goofy tried waving a hand in front of his eyes to try and break his intense focus, but to no avail. Instead, he simply stepped past both of them, opting to silently trail after the princess as she slowly made her way back to the platform that led back up to the surface.

"Gee, it looks like he wants to follow the princess," Goofy noted fretfully.

"He's not the only one," Rourke said, pressing onward as well. "Time to pack it up. We've got what we came here for."

"C-commander, are… are you sure about this?" Helga asked, uncomfortably shifting her gaze over at the princess.

"Let's not lose our nerve now, lieutenant," Rourke said simply. "Not when we're so close to cashing in…"

"Rourke, wait," Milo protested tensely. "You… you _can't _do this, especially not now. The heart isn't just some crystal anymore, i-it _is _Kida! I don't know how but… but it's like it's _bonded _with her or something! Don't you get it? They're one and the same."

"So?" Rourke scoffed, unconcerned. "I hardly see how that changes anything."

"It changes _everything_! She's a living, breathing _person_, just like you and me. Are you really, _really _going to take her all the way back up to the surface and try to pawn her off to the highest bidder?"

"That's about the long and short of it, son," Rourke concluded with a greedy smirk, saying nothing more on the matter as he prepared to leave the chamber, though not without meeting some resistance first.

"There's no way you're ever gonna get away with a plan like that!" Donald brazenly proclaimed, brandishing his staff as Goofy likewise took up his shield to oppose the commander.

"Yeah! Not on our watch!" the captain soundly agreed.

Rourke hardly seemed phased by their brave resistance, however, as he instead simply continued past them, pulling his pistol out as he slowly, tactfully approached not the princess, but _Sora _instead. "Oh, I think you two will let me do whatever I want," he grinned, looking back at the pair as he pressed the tip of the gun directly against Sora's back, which was turned to him as he kept his focus only on the princess and the heart alone, the sudden, immediate threat on his life completely lost on him. "At least… as long as _his _life is on the line…"

All Rourke needed to do to show he was serious was cock the weapon, and that alone was enough to get Donald and Goofy to quickly back down, knowing it was the most they could do to defend Sora in a moment like this when he was apparently unable to defend himself. As satisfied as he was that this cruel tactic had worked, the commander still didn't pull his pistol away, keeping it trained on Sora as a form of leverage against Donald, Goofy, and Milo alike as they all made their way back up to the throne room. It was hardly any surprise that the rest of the crew was waiting just outside the palace, standing by a sturdy metal crate, one that was meant to contain the Heart of Atlantis, though it was clear none of them had expected that heart to essentially be a person. Still, none of them protested Rourke's commands to seal the still-silent princess, or rather, the very prize they'd come all this way to obtain, up in the container to take her away from the world she was from, the world that needed her heart to survive.

The very instant the last of the crates walls concealed the princess behind their cold, concealing metal, Sora finally managed to break out of the longstanding trance the heart had held him under. He let out a sharp, startled gasp as he abruptly stumbled and nearly fell forward, only for Donald and Goofy to catch him and keep him upright just in time. "Sora! You're back!" the captain let out an allayed sigh.

"About time!" the magician chastised impatiently as they both helped their young companion properly stand.

"B-back…?" Sora repeated, confused as he placed a hand against his head to clear it. The abnormal glow in his eyes had finally faded, his gaze finally allowed to drift away from the now-captive heart as he looked to his companions in apt bewilderment. "W-where did I go? What's going on?" He quickly got his answer as soon as he glanced up to see the crew hauling the metal crate onto a large truck, and though his immediate, captivating connection to the Heart of Atlantis had largely been severed, he could still feel traces of its power radiating within its prison. "The heart!"

"No, not just the heart," Milo clarified as he joined the trio. "Kida's in there."

"What?" Sora asked, even more alarmed upon hearing this. Refusing to simply stand by and watch such an injustice take place, he was the first to make a move to stop the crew, Milo readily joining him, only for both of them to be repelled by a handful of Rourke's heavily armed henchmen.

While Sora fell back to Donald and Goofy to look for another way to help the princess, Milo lingered, addressing the members of the crew he used to be a part of as they passively carried out their duties, none of them seeming to even care about the grave travesty they were about to willingly help commit. "So… I guess this is how it ends, huh?" the linguist asked them, his tone openly bitter and cold. "Fine. You win. You're wiping out an entire civilization, but hey… you'll be rich. That's what it's all about, right? _Money_."

Though the other members of the crew intentionally averted the judgemental glare Milo was sending their way, Rourke was just as proud and arrogant over his crooked victory as ever. "Get off your soapbox, Thatch," he said, strolling over to the linguist. "You've heard of natural selection. We're just helping it along."

"No, Milo's right; what you're doing is wrong!" Sora spoke up sternly. While normal he, Donald, and Goofy would have been the first to draw their weapons to stop this theft in its tracks, they refrained, if only for the sake and safety of Milo and the crowd of Atlanteans who had gathered to mournfully watch their princess be taken away from them. "You're stealing a heart from a world that needs it to survive. What could _possibly _be worth more than the lives of so many innocent people?"

"I can think of _plenty _of things that are," Rourke sneered dismissively. "And maybe you could too if you grew up and took a step out of whatever fantasy world you're living in, kid."

"Commander, we're ready," Helga called from the truck, which indeed was fully loaded and ready to go.

"Yeah, yeah, give me a minute," Rourke responded with a wave of his hand. "I know I'm forgetting _something_… I got the cargo, the crystal, the crew… Oh yeah." Suddenly, the commander spun around, lashing out to deck Milo square in the jaw with the full force of his fist. The blow easily knocked the linguist off his feet as he reeled back in pain, barely aware of the round of stunned, appalled gasps that came along with the vicious punch from everyone standing by. "Look at it this way, son," Rourke mocked, briefly picking Milo's fallen glasses up before carelessly tossing them back at him. "You _were _the man who discovered Atlantis, and now, you're part of the exhibit."

By now, several members of the crew had finally turned their attention Milo's way as he recoiled from the sharp sting of Rourke's heavy punch and harsh words alike. Even as the commander issued the order for them to finally move out, more than a few of them found themselves hesitating as the growing doubts and regrets about their mission as a whole slowly but surely started to reach their tipping point. Until that point was not only reached, but broken through completely.

Audrey was the first, letting out an annoyed, disgruntled sigh as she hopped out of one of the trucks. Every ounce of her better judgement was advising her against this foolish, downright stupid course of action, but in the end, her conscious rung out just a little louder as she marched over to Milo and joined Sora, Donald, and Goofy in helping him off the ground. As soon as the linguist was back on his feet, Audrey then turned her focus back on her fellow crew members, not even needing to say a word as her severe, yet earnest glare spoke millions for her.

Under that glare, it didn't take long for Vinny to waver either as he broke off from the others, coming over to place a supportive hand on Milo's shoulder. Cookie was next to jump out of the truck, offering Mole an expectant look before they both mutually agreed to join the fledgling group, even if they were giving up potentially untold riches in the process. Even Packard, upon taking a long draw of her cigarette, sighed tiredly before tossing it aside to get with the program. "We're all gonna die," she deadpanned, though still went to take her place among the others.

"Oh, you _can't _be serious," Rourke scoffed upon glancing back at the stalwart crowd of defectors behind him.

"_Dead_ serious, Rourke," Audrey replied crossly. "It's just like Sora said: this is wrong and you know it!"

"We're _this _close to the biggest payday ever, and you pick _now _of all times to grow a conscience?" the commander huffed in bitter disbelief.

"We've done a lot of things we aren't proud of," Vinny remarked. "Robbing graves, plundering tombs, double parking… But nobody got hurt. Well, maybe _somebody _got hurt, but nobody that we knew."

"Well, if that's the way you want it, _fine_," Rourke concluded coldly, still stubbornly set in his own choice, however greedy and malicious it might have been. "More for me."

With that, Rourke and Helga shifted their vehicles into motion, the remaining cronies in their crew following suit with the captive princess still securely locked on board. A handful of those henchmen had a fully loaded blaster mounted on the back of one of the trucks, one that was trained on the group they were leaving behind just in case any of them had any ideas about following. Which meant the most any of them could do was sullenly, sadly watch as Rourke made a clean getaway across the bridge that led the way out of the city, taking both the Heart of Atlantis and its princess right along with him.

The effect was immediate; almost as soon as the princess was pulled away from her people, the crystals they all wore swiftly began to darken and dim without the heart that kept them empowered. The surrounding Atlanteans looked to each other worriedly, unsure of what they'd do without the energy that had managed to miraculously keep them and their families alive for so long. Energy that they all largely felt powerless to keep from slipping away from them completely.

And even despite the apparent danger, Milo refused to merely allow something like that happen to such a special, spectacular place and its people. "We can't let them do this!" he proclaimed, brazenly running forward only for Vinny to swiftly pull him back.

"Wait a second," he cautioned, eyeing the bridge just as Rourke and his crew made it to the other side. No more than a second later, the structure, which had been planted with copious amounts of dynamite, was completely blown to bits, ensuring once and for all that there would be no way to stop them. "Ok, now you can go," Vinny remarked simply.

"Milo!" Dr. Sweet, who had also stayed behind to tend to the injured king, called down from the palace steps. "Better get up here."

The linguist didn't hesitate to follow the doctor's lead, eager to see how the king was faring and much less eager to let him know of his daughter's fate. The other remaining crew members were quick to follow, and while the trio prepared to do the same, they were suddenly stopped by the all-too familiar sound of a dark corridor opening up behind them.

"Well, well, it seems as though the prize we're all after has already been claimed," Vexen said with a cool, calculated smile, one that only widened as the trio turned to face him, all three of them immediately on guard. "Or at least, it's been claimed for the time being, but worry not; that's something I have every intention of changing _very _soon…"

"So do we," Sora countered rigidly as the Kingdom Key flashed into his hands. "The only difference is once we get it back, we're not going to let you get anywhere close to the heart _or _that Key!"

Vexen simply let out a sinister, mocking chuckle upon hearing this. "Bold words from the boy who can't even face a simple pack of mindless Nobodies without falling apart," he said, clearly taking enjoyment in the obvious rise he got out of Sora from such a callous, cutting remark. "Fortunately while you were aimlessly wandering around this decaying waste of a world, _I _was actually out getting genuine answers about its many mysteries. And in my in-depth research, I happened to uncover quite an _intriguing _piece of information that I'm sure you three would simply _love _to hear."

"Yeah, right," Sora scoffed. "Just like I'm sure you'd love to lie to us about whatever it is."

"To throw us off track!" Donald added angrily.

"Yeah! Everyone knows Organization never tells the truth!" Goofy asserted just as brazenly.

"Oh, now that's where you're wrong about me," Vexen retorted, still upholding his confident, smug smirk. "I'm a researcher, a man of pure _science_. Which means that, unlike some of my other… colleagues, the _last _thing I deal in is lies."

The trio took pause at this, exchanging an uncertain glance before setting their mutually distrustful sights back on the researcher. "Fine. Then what's this _super _important information you dug up?" Sora asked, his expression set in a suspicious glare.

"I am _so _glad you asked," Vexen grinned proudly. "It appears that the heart of this world and the Key that's allegedly tied to it have much more in common than one might think. That crystal does indeed keep this city and its people alive, but it's quite the symbiotic relationship, really. For as it provides its protection to them, it feeds off of their thoughts, their memories… their _emotions_. Now, doesn't that sound… familiar?"

"The Key!" the trio exclaimed in a shared, startled gasp.

"Indeed," Vexen nodded. "It seems as though you three aren't as dull as I thought. Which is why it's so unfortunate that none of you will ever get to see the splendor of the one that's tied to this world. For you see, I've already concocted an ideal plan to obtain it; and the best part is, all that's required to carry it out is that heart alone."

"Whatever your plan is, it's _not _gonna work!" Sora snapped resiliently. "Because we're going to stop you, save the heart, _and _get that Key! Right, you guys?"

He briefly glanced back at Donald and Goofy, neither of whom actually offered a response as they met his question with what almost seemed to be genuine surprise. While normally they would have been in firm agreement with such a bold, courageous sentiment, they instead exchanged something of a wary glance before looking back to their young companion in apparent concern, catching him off guard and cutting down his confidence with clear confusion instead.

"Yes, go ahead and try to stop me," Vexen said, nonchalantly calling upon another dark corridor to leave through. "I'd be immensely fascinated to observe such a doomed effort. _If _you manage to even get that far, of course."

Without sparing the trio another word, the researcher stepped into his dark portal, more than eager to carry out his mysterious, devious plan, whatever it might have been. At the same time, Donald and Goofy kept their focus on Sora, their expressions equally fretful as they thought about the conversation they knew they had to have with him. "Sora, why'd you say that?" the magician asked with something of a disgruntled sigh.

"Uh, because we're going after the heart, duh," Sora turned to them, frowning. "...We _are _going after it… aren't we?"

The pair didn't answer right away as they instead looked to each other apprehensively once more, unsure of how to deliver the conclusion they'd both come to quite some time ago. "W-we are," Goofy began hesitantly. "But-"

The conversation was abruptly interrupted, however, as they happened to notice Milo emerging from the palace alongside the crew. The linguist's manner was severe, yet determined, his expression carrying a resolute kind of anger that every bit matched the sense of clear purpose in his step as he trudged down the palace steps.

"Where are you going?" Dr. Sweet asked as he and the others trailed after him.

"I'm going after Rourke," Milo answered shortly, simply.

"Milo, that's crazy!" Audrey protested as everyone else looked to him incredulously.

"I didn't say it was the smart thing," the linguist shrugged. "But it _is _the right thing."

The rest of the crew couldn't really argue with that logic as they made the move to join him. "Come on," Audrey huffed, irritated. "We better make sure he doesn't hurt himself."

"Are you guys with me?" Milo asked the trio as he passed by them.

"You bet we are!" Sora was quick to enthusiastically agree, though Donald and Goofy stopped him short as he did.

"Uh, Sora?" Goofy interjected cautiously. "Do you mind if we have a quick word with ya? Alone?"

"Oh, um, sure?" Sora raised a curious eyebrow before briefly turning back to Milo. "We'll be back to help in just a minute."

"Right," the linguist nodded, glad to accept all the aid he could get in what would certainly be a deeply dangerous quest.

Meanwhile, Donald and Goofy managed to pull Sora aside as the rest of the crew came down to assist Milo, hoping to get a bit of much-needed privacy for a conversation that wouldn't be easy to have under any circumstances. Especially not these. "So, are you guys finally going to explain why you're acting so weird?" Sora asked, hanging his arms behind his head as he looked between his companions.

"Um… well, ya see, Sora…" Goofy began, trying to tread carefully. Something that Donald didn't care nearly as much about as he blatantly blurted the sum of the matter.

"You're _not _coming with us to take back the heart!" he exclaimed firmly, authoritatively.

For his part, Sora was aptly caught off guard, confusion filling his features as he let out a small, involuntary laugh, almost as if he thought they were joking. "W-what do you mean? Of course, I am!"

"No, you're not," Donald reiterated. "You _can't_. It's not safe!"

"Not safe?" Sora rebuffed, clearly baffled by such a claim. "Since when has that ever mattered? In case you haven't noticed, we're _always _getting ourselves into danger. It'd be weird if we _weren't_ for a change! And we're always able to handle it just fine; _I'm _able to handle it just fine."

"Well, yeah, but… that was before… you know…" Goofy trailed off worriedly.

"_Before _Maleficent captured you!" Donald finished, knowing they simply couldn't dance around the subject any longer.

Sora flinched at this, his entire body tensing up at the mere mention of his horrendous captivity alone. Still, he quickly masked any remnant fear he had with anger; genuine, unsettled, palpable _anger_. "Of _course _that's what this is about…" he muttered, his voice low and harsh. "You guys just _won't _let that go! How many times do I have to tell you? I'll be fine! I-I'll figure out a way to get over it and then everything will go back to the way it used to be!"

"But you _haven't _yet, and that's the whole problem!" Donald countered just as severely. "It's just like you said: you _aren't _ready to be here! Did you just forget how you completely froze up when we were fighting those Nobodies?!"

"Or how hurt you got facing off against that armored fella who might be Terra?" Goofy added much more calmly, yet every bit as sincerely as the magician.

"_Or _how you blanked out _again_ when you saw the Heart of Atlantis?!"

"Whoa, hold it right there," Sora interjected crossly. "I did _not _blank out over the heart."

"Yes, you did!" Donald argued. "Your eyes were glowing and everything!"

"T-they were?" Sora was quick to shake his surprise over that alarming fact away. "Whatever. That doesn't matter. What _does _matter is that it _wasn't _like before with the Nobodies. This was… different. I-I don't know how to explain it, it was almost like the heart was… trying to talk to me or something…"

"Really?" Goofy asked, intrigued. "What did it say to you?"

"...I… it… all it really said was… 'you're not where you belong…'" he answered, lightly pressing a hand against his heart as he remembered just how it had resonated with that of this world.

"Huh?" Donald asked incredulously.. "What's _that _supposed to mean?"

"I don't know," Sora shook his head. "But I want to find out. I _want _to save the heart, and Kida, _and _Atlantis, and I want to get that Key! I don't care if it's dangerous and I don't care if you don't think I'm ready for it; I'll _be _ready when it matters most."

"But Sora," Goofy reasoned earnestly. "You don't know that. Neither do we. Anything could happen out there. And after everything that happened a month ago… w-we just don't want anything _else _to happen to you."

"And that's exactly why you're staying right here while we go help the others," Donald asserted, a bit calmer this time but still just as resolute. "We'll get the heart back, figure out how to get the Key, and then when we're done, we're going right back to Radiant Garden until you're _completely _healed, inside and out!"

"No, we're not!" Sora shot back, making no effort to hide just how angry and upset he was over this whole debacle. "Did you just forget about the rest of the Keys we need to find? We can't afford to keep wasting time on stupid stuff like-"

"Like you getting better?" Goofy interrupted with a frown. "That's _not _stupid, Sora. It's important to us, and it _should _be important to you."

"I-it is important to me!" Sora lied, because when it really came right down to it, his own long term recovery wasn't significant at all. Not in comparison to the momentous, potentially worlds-saving responsibility he knew he had to fulfill instead.

"Then _act _like it," Donald concluded, making the first move to leave. "Stay put until we get back. No more arguing about it, that's _final_."

"But I-"

"_Final_!" Donald snapped succinctly as he began to walk away.

Goofy lingered behind for just a moment longer, if only to offer some small form of comfort to ease Sora's obviously dejected frustration. "Aw, sorry, Sora…" he said, placing a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. "You know we don't want it to be this way either, but… we're only tryin' to do what's best for you."

Sora simply responded to this with a bitter scoff, crossing his arms as he glanced away coldly. The captain retracted his hand upon seeing the sheer look of betrayal on his face, unsure of what else to say that could possibly smooth this tense situation over as he instead went to follow the magician. Both of them leaving Sora behind on a mission he felt like he should have been a part of, he _knew _he should be a part of, but, in the end, he _wasn't_.

By now, Milo had led the rest of the crew to an entire collection of flying Atlantean vehicles, catching the attention of more than a few of the city's residents along the way. Enthusiastic to help their princess, they eagerly volunteered to join the cause, watching as Milo demonstrated how they could use their crystals to get the vehicles started. And, with something of a miniature army of their own assembled, they all felt just a bit more ready to take on Rourke's. Even if they were all still well aware of just how dangerous and daunting the impending battle might be.

"All right, this is it!" Milo called to the others as he led the way on his own vehicle. The remaining members of the crew, the Atlantean volunteers, and even Donald and Goofy followed not too far behind, all of them determined to do whatever they could to set things right. "We're gonna rescue the princess, we're gonna save Atlantis, or we're going to die trying! Now, let's do it!"

A round of excited cheers rose up at this, and not just from the group heading out to battle either. The Atlanteans who stayed behind saw the courageous crowd off with fond waves and well-wishes, all of them confident that their princess and their heart would be returned to them before it was too late.

However, the bold procession wasn't entirely met with levity and cheer as it left the city. Sora stood alone on the edge of a platform near the palace, his sights set to the sky as everyone soared high above him, making their way to the dormant volcano Rourke had retreated to earlier. While he was already quite frustrated to begin with, he only found himself becoming more infuriated upon spotting Donald and Goofy stealing a glance down from their shared vehicle as they passed him by. Sora quickly glared away from his companions as they left, though all the same he made sure the anger, the disappointment, and the disdain in his expression were all clear to see.

In many ways, Sora did in fact, understand why Donald and Goofy had insisted upon him staying behind like this. Because he _had _indeed lost his nerve against a simple pack of Nobodies, he _had _only narrowly managed to escape from his confrontation with the armored warrior with his life, and even then it was only because of his connection to Ventus rather than his own merit. Really, ever since they'd left Radiant Garden, Sora realized he hadn't successfully engaged in any sort of battle or fight at all. And in light of that fact, it really was no wonder why Donald and Goofy seemed to believe he couldn't hold his own in a fray anymore.

Yet that still didn't mean he would never be able to again and it certainly didn't mean that he didn't deserve the chance to try. It would have been a risk, certainly, but it was a risk Sora wanted to take, one he knew he _needed _to take if he ever wanted to fully regain his lost strength again. But that hardly seemed to matter to either of his companions, who had outright refused to let him take that risk, refused to let him regain that strength, refused to see him as anything other than a liability, someone who needed to be restrained and held back and watched over and protected.

Someone who was _weak_.

Sora gasped as a sudden spark of familiar energy surged through him, his building fury quickly forgotten as he released the tight fists he hadn't even realized he'd been holding his hands in at his sides. Yet as he looked down at his hands, he was rather surprised to see vibrant, visible magic equally composed of radiant light and dark shadows, swirling heavily around them both. Magic that, after over a month of being suppressed and forced to the wayside, was practically _begging _to be unleashed now.

However, Sora was quick to reject that silent plea, drawing his hands in close to him to try to extinguish the forbidden power surrounding them. It did dull somewhat, but it didn't disappear, still brimming with magic that tugged on his heart and leaned on his mind, its haunting, unspoken call ringing louder and clearer on both with each passing moment. It was such a tempting, tantalizing call too, especially when he remembered just how capable, just how unstoppable, just how _strong _he felt whenever he'd used it in the past. But each of those memories also came with just as heavy of a reminder, the briefest flash of his own reflection, his eyes drenched in a blazing gold that didn't belong there, gold that only remained in traces now but could only stand to grow if he made any wrong moves. As much as he wished it wasn't the case, this new power, this unknown, alluring, yet dangerous magic, would only end up pulling his heart further down into the darkness that the Organization was all-too eager to watch him fall under.

And yet… this magic wasn't theirs; it was _his_. It was power _he'd _discovered, power that emerged from his own hands, his own heart. Really, when it came right down to it, wherever that power had come from, whatever had sparked it in the first place, it was as natural to him as summoning his own Keyblade was. Denying that power, power that was _his _and his alone by right, would essentially be like denying a part of himself.

And if there was a chance that power could help him get back on track toward regaining his strength, strength he wanted, _needed _to reclaim, then was it really all that wrong to use it? As long as he could control that magic-which he knew very well that he could, even as unpredictable and mysterious as it was-then was using it to his advantage too much of a problem? He could use it sparingly, slightly, just enough to break through the mental barricades that barred him from fighting on his own until he didn't need it anymore at all. And even then, how likely could it possibly be that he'd actually end up slipping into the darkness if he _only _used that power when he really needed it the most?

Sora took in a deep, calming breath as he opened his hands up once more, watching with equal worry and curiosity as darkness and light bloomed above them once more, intermingling with each other in what almost looked like a strange, yet beautiful dance. He was acutely aware that what he was about to do was far from the smartest, or the safest thing to do, and when Donald and Goofy inevitably found out, they'd throw a fit for sure. But he couldn't, _wouldn't _stand idly by on the sidelines anymore. Not when innocent lives were at stake, not when his friends were in peril, and certainly not when he could still feel the stolen heart of this world and the Key connected to it calling desperately out to his own.

So he swiftly turned, marching off toward one of the city's lower levels in the hopes of finding a spare vehicle along the way. The crew had taken off with most of them that had been lying out in the open, but Sora figured there had to be at least one left for him to use somewhere. And though it took a bit of searching, sure enough, he happened to find one, abandoned in one of the city's many hidden coves as it rested against a withering structure, practically buried by vines and foliage. However, it was only as he pulled all that off of the vehicle and briefly checked it over that he realized he had no way of actually getting it started.

"Oh, that's right!" he huffed in annoyance as he placed his hand against the inscription pad, only to get no results. "If only I had one of those crystals or… or some kind of…" He gasped in realization as he remembered what he _did _have in place of that crystal. "Some kind of key!"

In an instant, the Kingdom Key was in his hands, and though Sora didn't really know if this impromptu plan would work, he pointed its tip toward the vehicle all the same. A beam of light poured out from the Keyblade, connecting with the vehicle as it surrounded it in that same sort of light. And, when he lowered his weapon a moment later, Sora was immensely relieved to see the vehicle roar to life, raising off the ground a bit to a low hover just before he eagerly hopped onto it.

"Sorry, guys," he said to Donald and Goofy, even though he knew they wouldn't hear him. "But I _have _to help."

And with that, he pushed the vehicle into motion, steering it up above and out away from the city as fast as it would go. He had watched the others fly toward the cavern they had entered Atlantis through before, and now he wasted no time in following their lead, hoping to catch up and offer whatever assistance he could. Yet as he reached the lava-filled chasm that stood between the city and the cavern, he was suddenly met with an obstacle he hoped he wouldn't run into, but should have been expecting all the same.

A flock of winged Nobodies surrounded the entrance to the cavern, hovering around it largely aimlessly until they happened to spot Sora approaching from afar. When they did, they quickly turned all their attention on him, speeding toward him with the intent of launching a wild attack. Sora flinched when he saw them, nearly stopping his vehicle dead in the air as his breathing hitched in the first signs of fledgling panic began to pound through his chest. He nearly fell victim to that panic too, at least until he noticed the darkened light still weaving its way around his arms.

Acting on sheer impulse alone, he lashed out suddenly, not even bothering to call upon his Keyblade as he swung his arm out wide, raw magic flowing out from it all the while. The broad, uncalculated wave of energy struck the Nobodies evenly, completely slicing through them and dissipating their forms in an instant. As the next small horde of monsters came at him, Sora followed suit with the same maneuver, throwing another heavy blast of magic their way to the same results. As he did, he pressed onward toward the cavern, deftly taking out any Nobody he saw along the way, many times before any of them even happened to notice him pass by. In such a way, none of them even managed to get close to him before he defeated them, maintaining a safe distance that Sora couldn't help but take some level of comfort in.

And that wasn't the only reassurance he received from that brief encounter either; for as he finally passed into the narrow cavern, he strangely found himself smiling, exhilarated, elated even by just how _easy _that encounter had been. When he had tried to rely solely on his Keyblade, he hadn't been able to take so much as a single swing of it out of fear over what could have gone wrong. But now, using his powers in their place, he'd not only survived, but _thrived_, creating a feeling of steady confidence and pride he hadn't been able to experience in quite awhile. And, perhaps best of all, on top of that, he felt _strong_, unquestionably, unflinchingly strong in a way he couldn't remember feeling since before that strength had been taken from him in the first place. Which was why he decided to relish that strength for all it was worth, knowing just how much he had yearned for it when it had been gone.

Pushing the vehicle on ahead, it didn't take long for Sora to reach the battle that was already well underway. Rourke was in the midst of trying to make his escape through the top of the supposedly dormant volcano by way of a massive hot air balloon, to which the crate containing both the princess and the heart had been securely tethered to. However, that escape was facing clear opposition from the airborne group of rebellious crew members and Atlantean volunteers that had come to stop them. Their vehicles circled the balloon, dodging and fending off the barrage of rifles, missiles, and attack bi-planes the commander had at his disposal. Both sides of the hectic brawl had already faced quite a bit of destruction, but the main members of the crew seemed to still be in the right in the heart of the action, evading shots from even Rourke and Helga as they tried to defend their prize from the deck of their balloon.

Amidst all this chaos, Sora happened to briefly spot Donald and Goofy across the other end of the cavern, with the captain piloting their vehicle while the magician fired off a barrage of spells at the horde of Nobodies that had also found their way into the mix. Knowing that the last thing he wanted was to be spotted by his companions this soon, Sora steered away from them, turning his focus to the crate containing the princess instead. Audrey, Mole, and Dr. Sweet had already reached it, fortunately out of Rourke's notice as they tried to saw through the chains latching the crate to the balloon that was slowly but surely taking it away.

"I thought you said this thing could cut through a femur in 28 seconds!" Audrey snapped at the doctor, rushing the saw across the sturdy chains.

"Less talk, more saw," Dr. Sweet retorted as he tried to hold the crate steady from his vehicle.

"You guys need some help?" Sora called as he pulled his vehicle up to theirs.

"Hey, there ya are, kid!" Dr. Sweet greeted with a casual grin. "I was starting to wonder if you got lost or somethin'."

"Sure, knock yourself out," Audrey said, offering him her saw. "Just try not to break this thing, it's the only saw we've got."

"Thanks, but I won't need it," Sora assured as he summoned his Keyblade. Certainly, with its unique ability to open just about any lock, it would make easy work of whatever was keeping the crate sealed. Yet, before he could actually use it, the suspended crate happened to turn in just the right way that he caught sight of the box's lone porthole, revealing a glimpse of the princess securely locked inside it. And as he did, the heart that had bonded with her powerfully resonated with Sora once more, dimming everything else, including the explosive battle happening all around him, into obscurity.

"Uh… are you gonna unlock this thing or not?" Audrey asked, confused as she peered down from her spot on top of the crate.

"_Sacre bleu_!" Mole exclaimed, his jaw dropping in shock. "His eyes! Look at his eyes!"

"Whoa!" Dr. Sweet gaped, noticing just how unnaturally brightly blue Sora's eyes had suddenly become as he stared straight at the crate ahead of him. "Kid! You ok?!"

As captivated as he was by the heart, Sora didn't answer, his focus locked only on the heart, even as trapped as that heart currently was. And, just as it had before, it offered him an unspoken message through the princess once again, a simple statement that seemed to mean so very much at once:

_Release the heart to forge the Key._

At that exact moment, a sudden explosion rocked the crate and everyone surrounding it as one of the airship's anchors, intentionally released by Helga from above, struck Audrey's abandoned vehicle. The crate was pushed aside by the ensuing blast, and though it nearly sent the crew members flying, the sudden rough movement actually did succeed in knocking Sora, who was still distracted by the heart, off his vehicle entirely. The moment he was thrown back away from the crate, his awareness returned to him in full-force, especially as he began freely plummeting through the open air toward the ground far below him.

His fall only lasted seconds, however, before he miraculously landed hard onto one of the vehicles flying by, one that just so happened to have been claimed by none other than his own companions. "Sora!?" Donald shouted furiously no more than a second after he landed. "What do you think you're doing here?! We told you to stay behind!"

"Yeah, but come on," Sora huffed, annoyed, as he sat up. "You honestly didn't think I'd actually _listen_, did you?"

"...Well, we at least _hoped _you would've…" Goofy noted, briefly glancing over his shoulder from his spot at the vehicle's controls.

"Gah! But we should have _known _you _wouldn't_! You _never _do!" Donald snapped harshly. "Well, as long as you're here, keep your head down and-_-don't do_ _that_!"

The magician practically panicked as Sora outright stood up on the tail end of the vehicle, a precarious perch enough on its own, made only more dangerous as he brandished his Keyblade and began openly swinging at whatever Nobody happened to stray too close. "Sorry, what was that?" Sora asked, sending back a particularly snide grin Donald's way. "I couldn't hear you; I was too busy _helping _like I told you guys I could do from the beginning!"

Donald was more than ready to fire just as cross of a retort off, though before he could, Goofy caught the pair's equal attention with an aptly startled cry. "Fellas! Look!"

They did so, only to see one of the vehicles, the one that Milo seemed to be on, crashing clean into one of the three main balloons keeping Rourke's airship afloat. Fortunately, the linguist happened to jump off it to clamor onto the largest balloon just in time, but the effect of the impact was immediate as the entire ship began to sink instead of sail through the air.

"We're losing altitude," Rourke scowled, glancing over the ship's railing. "Lighten the load."

Helga did so, tossing whatever unneeded supplies over the edge as she could before glancing back over at the commander. "That's it, unless someone wants to jump."

"Ladies first," Rourke suddenly hoisted her up, abruptly throwing her over the edge entirely. Helga narrowly managed to avoid her end by latching onto one of the ship's lower railings, using it as leverage to throw herself back on board, delivering a swift kick to the commander's jaw in the process.

"You said we were in this together!" she snapped, infuriated as she landed several more heavy kicks in quick succession. "You promised me a percentage!"

Before Helga could land yet another brutal blow, Rourke quickly recovered, catching her foot and stopping her in her tracks. "Next time, get it in writing," was all he said before he tossed her overboard once more, this time for good. "Nothing personal!" He called over the edge as he watched his lieutenant fall to her apparent demise with a smug, jeering grin.

At the same time, Milo, who was still tightly clinging to the side of the balloon just above the commander, decided that it was either now or never for him to make his move. Mustering up all of the courage he could, he pulled the rope he was holding onto loose, using it to swing in to Rourke, barreling into him and sending them both falling over the edge of the railing. The two grappled as they both fell across the rope, slamming into one of the ship's lower mechanisms where they made a narrow landing on whatever sparse space was there.

Rourke groaned in aggravation as he picked himself up, but even so, he quickly picked up his usual haughty grin as he moved in to finish the bothersome linguist off. "Well, Thatch, I gotta hand it to you. You're a bigger pain in the neck than I ever thought possible."

For his part, Milo also stood, lashing out to land a punch on the commander, only for him to easily catch it and turn it right around back on him. The blow nearly ended up knocking him off the ship entirely, though he did manage to catch himself on a piece of collapsed railing just before he could fully fall. That railing did, however, also manage to get caught in the ship's propeller, abruptly stopping both it, and the balloon's ascent entirely.

"I consider myself to be an even-tempered man," Rourke continued as he came to stand high above him. "It takes a _lot _to get under my skin. But congratulations, son, you just won the solid-gold medal when it comes to getting on my nerves!"

The commander was just about to reach down to finish the linguist off, though he was stopped in his tracks by the sudden burst of fire that lobbed right past him, barely missing his head. Rourke turned, scowling to the air just above him, only to see Sora, Donald, and Goofy flyin by, the former two more than ready to make use of magic again to come to Milo's aid. "Ugh, and so did _they…" _the commander hissed, pulling out his pistol to open fire on the trio. None of his shots landed, however, as they easily flew out his range, though as set off as he was, that still didn't stop him from trying.

At least, until an unexpected explosion from somewhere far below tore through his remaining balloons entirely.

"N-nothing… personal…" Helga had muttered, her last words from her spot on the ground as she fired off the devastating blast. One final act of vengeance against her former boss before she went out.

The airship erupted into flames, chasing any lingering planes and vehicles away from it for their own safety. Even so, Rourke chose to ignore his sinking ship to pursue a vicious act of vengeance himself as he took up the onboard axe to go after Milo, who was still clinging onto what was left of the ship for dear life. A crazed look filled the commander's eyes as he took his first swing, one that Milo barely managed to avoid as he dropped down onto the crate, unable to do anything else but try to keep his wits about him in a battle he wasn't sure he'd really win.

"Ha! _Tired_, Mr. Thatch?!" Rourke taunted as he threw his axe down, breaking the crate's porthole in the process. "Aw, that's a darn shame, because I'm just getting _warmed up_!"

Milo ignored him as he instead glanced at the broken glass of the portal, which, much like its exterior, was radiating with the same mysterious energy as the Heart of Atlantis itself did. Still, the linguist hardly thought anything of it as he carefully retrieved one of those broken glass shards, swiftly cutting it deep across Rourke's arm as he happened to snatch him and hoist him up into the air. As the commander recoiled in pain, Milo quickly made his escape, climbing back up toward the lower platform as the cut began to spark a stark chain reaction. As the crystal's energy mingled with his bloodstream, Rourke's arm began to crystallize from the inside out, hardening and glistening as it began to overtake his entire body. Milo watched the entire agonizing process in alarm as he clung onto the ship's rails, though as Rourke seemed to freeze up entirely in apparent defeat, he couldn't help but let out a small sigh of relief.

"Oh, thank heaven…" he shook his head tiredly, glad to see that it was finally over. Except it wasn't, because if Rourke was nothing else, he was determined, even amidst his own doom. His form had all but been completely crystalized, his veins shining starkly against the heavy blue stone that was now his skin. Yet even still, he continued his almost feral pursuit against the linguist, climbing up to reach him as he let out a fierce, inhuman roar. Unsure of what else to do, Milo acted quickly, flipping over the railing he was hanging from in the hopes of avoiding a vicious attack. This maneuver, however, just so happened to place Rourke directly in the path of the ship's propeller, which had just begun moving again as the obstruction halting it was cleared. And as soon as it struck him, Rourke _shattered_, his crystalline form breaking into millions of iridescent pieces and ending his greed-driven madness once and for all.

The resounding explosion was finally enough to snap the chains keeping the crate connected to the airship. Milo was quick to take notice of this and hopped into the box as it began to fall, fortunately not too far to the ground as the ship itself was already well on its way there. They both landed roughly, though Milo found there was still no time to recover as the flaming remains of the airship began plummeting his way at a rapid speed. He only had mere seconds to shove the crate aside before jumping out of the way himself as the ship came down in yet another brutal, fiery explosion.

Amidst this barrage of disaster however, Milo was more than happy to see a friendly face as he spotted Sora, Donald, and Goofy pulling in to meet him. "Need a lift?" Sora asked with a grin, offering a hand out to help him.

"You bet I do…" Milo sighed, exhausted yet allayed. Yet, there was no time to celebrate their success as a sudden rumble shook the entire foundation of the cavern. The linguist turned back to the airship's wreckage with a gasp, his eyes wide with alarm as he began to notice the sizable cracks forming in the ground just underneath it. By now, the rest of the crew had arrived, all of them realizing the peril they were now in as Mole aptly proclaimed it aloud.

"The volcano!" he cried frantically. "She awakes!"

"Hey, I had nothin' to do with it," Vinny remarked, tossing aside a spare stick of dynamite.

"This here, would _not _be a good place to be!" Cookie noted anxiously.

"N-no, wait!" Milo rushed to grab onto the crate's chains, even as lava began spilling out from the cracks ahead of them. "We've got to get her back or the whole city will die!"

"And if _we _don't get out of here, _we'll _die!" Audrey snapped, pullin Milo out of harm's way.

"Quick! Everyone!" Sora called to the rest of the crew as they began to scramble forward, Donald and Goofy doing the same. "Let's hitch this thing up!"

"And hightail it outta here!" Goofy added urgently.

"A-and let's _hurry_!" Donald exclaimed, eying the emerging lava in the distance nervously.

None of the others hesitated to get to work, hoisting the crate's chains around the largest, most sturdy vehicle they had. As soon as they were sure the box was securely fastened to it, they all took off, pulling the crate up off the ground just as the fissures underneath it began to burst open completely. From there, the entire volcano began to erupt in short order, magma spilling out into the cavern from underground in heavy, deadly waves. The group pushed their pack of vehicles as fast as they could possibly go to outrun it, making it out of the cavern just as the lava began to pour out of its entrance entirely.

Without its heart to provide its life-sustaining light, Atlantis was awash in darkness, its citizens gathered near the palace to anxiously watch and see what would become of them and their city. Their spirits were instantly lifted, however, upon seeing the courageous group returning with the princess and the heart in tow, though even as they began to land, there was little time for celebration. Almost as soon as Milo made sure the crate was securely settled on the ground, he began to try and pry it open with a discarded spear, though it to little avail, even despite his best, somewhat frantic efforts.

"The fissure! It is about to eject its pyroclastic fury!" Mole gasped, pointing to the volcano as magma began pouring down its sides.

"Milo! Mole says the wall's gonna blow!" Dr. Sweet translated quickly.

"I-I'm…. working on it!" the linguist grunted, pulling as hard against the spear as he could to open the crate. All in the hopes that the heart inside it could somehow protect its people from the devastation that was about to befall them.

"Here, let me try," Sora offered as he rushed in to help. Milo readily let him, stepping aside as Sora summoned his Keyblade and took aim at the crate. Knowing that he couldn't afford to be distracted this time, he tightly closed his eyes and let the Kingdom Key do its job, unlocking the crate in a matter of seconds. Yet as the heart's light began to pour from the now-opened box, he found that he couldn't resist its radiant, entrancing glow for long, especially as the princess pushed the walls that had once contained her apart completely.

Everyone else watched in awe as the heart's power flowed freely into Atlantis once more, flooding into the ancient runes that covered the city, all the way down to its very core. Called upward by the heart's power, the stone effigies of Atlantis' past kings emerged from the heart's underground chamber, bursting out of the ground as they surrounded the princess, ascending along with her to rise high above what lay below. From there, their combined energy sparked vibrantly, their light piercing the sky to reach what seemed to be several sets of waterlogged ruins along the edges of the city. However, as those ruins rose up from the water, what they _really _were became clear: massive, titanic stone guardians, an entire legion of them, called to life by the Heart of Atlantis itself to protect it, to _save _it.

By now, the volcano's eruption was finally starting to reach the city, with flaming rocks catapulting their way toward the town from the force of the rushing magma. Though a few of them happened to strike the emerging automatons, they were hardly phased, their study bodies marching on to the very edges of the plateau Atlantis rested upon. And, as the eruption grew even more violent and uncontrollable, the guardians spread their arms out wide, forming large shields of raw energy that quickly combined to stop any flames that came their way. That shield rose over the city itself, enveloping it in its sturdy, unbreakable might just as a full sea of lava began to flow toward it. The molten magma crashed against the force field, frightening the citizens within it, yet it never touched them, even as it washed over the city in what would have otherwise been an obliterating wave. For all the while, the guardians, the very Heart of Atlantis, continued to defend its own, just as it had once before, thousands of years ago.

Even amidst all this unfolding chaos, from his spot on the ground, Sora still remained completely transfixed with the heart, his eyes glowing every bit as brightly as it was once more. As Donald and Goofy had rushed to help the other crew members escort the terrified Atlanteans to safety, he largely stood alone, absolutely captivated by the heart's continued call to his own. Yet strangely, that call slowly started to shift, as did everything else around him, the heart loosening its tight hold upon him to allow him to see the familiar golden light that had come to surround him. A light that came along with a soft, still unknown voice that Sora couldn't help but find immense relief in hearing once again after all this time away.

"_Do you seek the truth?"_

It was a strange question, to say the least, though hardly any stranger than anything it had asked him before. And really, the answer to it was a simple one, especially when he thought about his unique connection to the heart of this world, among others before it, about that armored warrior who had mistaken him for Ventus and Xehanort all at once, who itself could have been a long lost piece of Terra, about his own relatively newfound light and dark magic, about where it had come from and what it could do. All mysteries, all problems to solve upon still so many others questions he yearned to find the answers to. All matters that could, perhaps finally be settled, if he somehow managed to find the truth behind each one.

"Yes," he answered evenly, certainly, already extending an open hand out in anticipation for the Key that was about to fill it. "I do."

Sure enough that Key appeared in a vibrant flash of light, its palpable warmth and power washing over him as the light itself faded away. And as it did, the Heart of Atlantis was quick to catch his full attention once more, the newly-claimed Key still in his grip as his hand fell slack to his side. However, as enthralled by the heart as he was, he didn't even notice the dark corridor that was opening up just a few feet away from him.

"Ah, I do love it when everything goes perfectly according to plan," Vexen remarked with a broad grin as he stepped out of the portal. "And here I thought, based on what I've heard from a few of my fellow members, that this whole ordeal would actually be something of a challenge! But it turns out that, as usual, the hands-off approach is the best way to go seeing as how I barely even had to lift a finger to get what I came here for. I really can't thank you enough for doing all of the heavy lifting for me, Sora…"

Despite this smug remark, Sora said nothing to respond to it, largely since he hadn't even heard it to begin with amidst the heart still holding him in its trance. Vexen raised a confused eyebrow at this as he took a step closer, hardly paying any mind to the ongoing cataclysm far above the city himself, even as that disaster began to die down. "What's the matter, boy? Nothing to say in light of your inevitable defeat?" the researcher asked dryly, just before he noticed the unnatural glow still brimming in Sora's eyes.

"Hm… how peculiar…" Vexen mused, briefly waving a hand in front of his face in a failed attempt to get his attention. "You seem to be completely out of it… Ha! This is going to be even easier than I thought! In fact, since your bothersome friends don't seem to be anywhere in the vicinity…" His icy grin grew as he glanced around for any signs of the captain or the magician, or anyone else who might try to stop him, but ultimately found no one at all nearby. "I see no reason not to take both you _and _that Key back with me. After all, I'm sure I'd earn high praise from the master if just so happened to reign his supposed thirteenth vessel in a bit _earlier _than anticipated…"

Eager to carry his sinister plan out without any interference whatsoever, Vexen reached forward to grab Sora by the arm to pull both him and the Key through the dark corridor behind him. Yet just before he could, his approach was brought to a swift and sudden halt as a massive Keyblade came completely out of nowhere, slamming down and wedging itself squarely into the ground between the researcher and his proposed pair of prizes.

"W-what in the worlds?!" Vexen exclaimed, stumbling backward out of both fear and surprise. He was abruptly pulled back even more, however, quite harshly by a strong, heavy hand, one that tossed him to the ground just as hard. All the while, Sora never tore his gaze away from the heart, not even as the armored warrior itself came to reclaim its Keyblade, positioning itself almost protectively in front of him. From his spot on the ground, the most Vexen could initially do was stare up at the intimidating warrior in aptly terrified disbelief until he blurted out the most obvious question first. "What… w-who are _you _supposed to be?!"

The warrior didn't offer an answer as it instead pulled its Keyblade up, pointing its tip directly at the researcher. _"You are not welcome in this world," _it said shortly, simply. _"Leave. Now."_

Vexen let out a harsh, appalled scoff at this as he picked himself up off the ground, calling upon his pointed shield as a means of defense against the warrior. "_Excuse_ me? I'm not going anywhere! At least not without that Key _and _that boy! Now, if you would so kind as to step out of my way so I can-" He cut himself off with a tight, squeak of a gasp as the warrior's Keyblade suddenly slammed hard against his shield, knocking it out of his grip and nearly sending him collapsing to the ground all over again.

"_I said _leave,_" _it reiterated coldly, clearly prepared to engage in an all-out brawl if it had to.

"N-noted…" Vexen gulped timidly, turning to retreat through his dark corridor. "All those weeks of waiting around for the boy to recover, all of us sitting around doing nothing, for _this? _What a joke. I'm _never _going to hear the end of this one…" He muttered bitterly, though all the same he left, the threat of the Nobodies he'd brought to this world disappearing right along with him.

By now, the eruption had calmed, the guardians' shields slowly falling, though the automatons remained standing guard in their spots around the city, which was finally safe from harm. Likewise, the light of the heart began to dim, its purpose fulfilled as a cover of clouds rolled in to conceal its radiance. From his spot near the palace, Milo kept his sights set to where it had been, especially as a soft beam of light poured in through those clouds. And, slowly, gracefully descending from that light, was Kida, no longer bound to the heart as she'd been but still every bit as beautiful as ever, at least as far as the linguist was concerned. He stepped in to catch her, gently holding her unconscious form as she landed safely into his arms. He watched her closely, waiting a moment or two as she took in a deep breath before her eyes finally fluttered open, meeting his almost as soon as they did.

"M-Milo…?" she muttered, offering him a small, tired, but warm smile. One that he readily returned, especially as she suddenly, happily threw her arms around him, locking him into a tight, tender hug. Perhaps the best thanks she ever could have given him for saving her life and her city.

At the same time, the armored warrior happened to turn, glancing behind it to see Sora, the heart no longer influencing him as he instead stared up at it in stunned amazement. "Y-you… you came back…" he said softly, briefly checking to make sure the Key was still in his hand before devoting his full attention back to the warrior. "You helped me, didn't you?"

For what seemed like ages, the warrior said nothing, simply staring down at him without any sort of expression or intention at all. When it did speak, its tone was still just as unreadable as ever, but the words it said were enough to convey just how apparently confused it really was. _"When I look at you… I can sense Xehanort's darkness. But… I can also feel Ven's light. I also know you're neither of them. So… who _does _that make you?"_

Sora sighed, though all the same he ventured the slightest of friendly smiles all the same. "I'm Sora, actually."

"_Sora…" _the warrior repeated almost thoughtfully.

"Y-you're Terra, right?" Sora asked, even if he largely already knew the answer.

Yet even so, the warrior shook its head. _"Almost. I'm all that's left of him, his thoughts, his memories… but without his heart and body, I am nothing more than a hollow, empty shell that was only left behind to ultimately wither away."_

"I won't let that happen! My friends and I are gonna figure out some way to help you and-"

The warrior put up a hand to stop him. _"If you were smart, you'd worry about yourself first."_

"Well, I'm not!" Sora proclaimed, though he was quick to realize what he'd just said. "W-worried about myself, I mean. I _am _smart."

The warrior shook its head once more as it took a step closer to him. _"Xehanort is trying to take over your heart, isn't he?" _it asked, peering directly down at him. _"If you're not careful, you could just as easily fall victim to the same fate I met years ago. Do _not _let his darkness in willingly; don't make the same mistake I did… It might already be too late for me, but it's not too late for you, Sora."_

"It's not too late for you either," Sora insisted earnestly. "I still want to help you somehow, I just… don't really know where to start…"

"_...Start with Ven," _the warrior said after a moment of hesitation. _"If your heart really is connected to his, then you should be able to find him. Aqua too. On my own, there's little I can do to reclaim what I've lost, but with the help of my friends… there might still be a chance to set things right."_

"Got it," Sora nodded, resolved. "One of my friends is already out there looking for Aqua, so in the meantime, I'll find a way to help Ventus. And then, once we've got them back, they can help us help you, right?"

"_...Right," _the warrior agreed, tossing its Keyblade up into the air so it could take on the form of a glider once more. _"Thank you, Sora. And good luck."_

Sora saw the warrior off with a genuine smile, knowing that it was likely setting out to continue its search for its lost friends on its own. So he let it go, in the hopes that the next time they'd meet, perhaps they'd both be free of the darkness Xehanort was intent on oppressing both of them with.

* * *

Against all odds, Atlantis had been saved, its heart restored and its light and life right along with it. Its people heralded its bold band of saviors as heroes, especially since the mysterious monsters that had beset them even before their arrival also seemed to have vanished from the city entirely. Yet all the crew asked for in return for their courage, was a vehicle to take back up to the surface… as well as plenty of treasure to stow onto it, treasure that the Atlanteans were more than happy to bestow them with. Kida also made sure to gift each of them their own crystal as keepsakes of their journal and something of a medal of honor for their selfless valor.

"Atlantis will honor your names forever," she said as she handed them out while the crew prepared to pack up to leave. "I only wish there was more we could do for you."

"Uh, you know, thanks anyway, but I think we're good," Vinny noted, nodding over to the large pile of gold and jewels the Atlanteans were loading onto their ship.

"Those crystals will take you as far as the surface, for sure," Milo informed, holding up his own as he stayed by Kida's side.

"We're really going to miss you, Milo," Audrey said with a fond, genuine smile.

"Gawrsh, are ya really sure about staying here, Milo?" Goofy asked, hanging out on the fringes of the group alongside Sora and Donald.

"Yeah, you know, there's a hero's welcome waiting for the man who discovered Atlantis," Dr. Sweet added with a smirk.

"Ah, I don't think the world needs another hero," Milo chuckled with a wave of his hand. "What I'm not sure I understand is why you guys aren't going back up to the surface with them…" His grin faded into slight confusion as he glanced over at the trio.

"Oh, w-well, uh… let's just say we, um… have our own ride back home," Sora said, being careful not to give too much away.

"You would be welcome here if you decided to stay as well," Kida smiled, lightly holding onto Milo's arm as she did. "Atlantis would do well to have brave, courageous warriors such as yourselves."

"Thanks, but… we have to go," Sora reiterated as he allowed the Key to flash into his grip. "After all, we got what we came here for."

"You _earned _what you came here for," Kida affirmed as she offered Sora a thankful, thoughtful nod.

"I'll say you did," Milo added just as encouragingly. "Thanks, you guys. I'm not so sure we could have done this without your help."

"You're welcome!" Donald proudly quipped.

"Aw, c'mon now, Donald," Goofy said with a small laugh. "Don't let it get to your head."

"Seriously," Sora added wryly, crossing his arms.

"Hey!"

"Can we go home now?" Packard spoke up, as deadpan and bored as ever.

"C'mon, ya'll," Dr. Sweet encouraged, leading the way to the ship. "Let's get one last shot in front of the fish." Everyone went to do so, gathering around the pile of treasure the crew was getting ready to leave with as one of the Atlanteans snapped one last photo of everyone all together. And once that picture was taken, another round of final goodbyes spread throughout the group as the crew began to board their vessel. Milo, Kida, and the trio stood by to see them off as they began their voyage back up to the surface, and once they left, it wasn't long before Sora, Donald, and Goofy parted ways with the couple themselves, though not without plenty of fond farewells toward their new friends first. And with those farewells, the trio was off once more, readying themselves to leave the lost empire entirely, though not without one final, much-needed discussion on the way out.

"Sora," Goofy spoke up, breaking what was otherwise silence between the three of them as they neared the edge of the city. "Before we go, we… we gotta talk."

Sora stopped short, his back turned to the pair as he let out a long, despondent sigh. "What's there to talk about? You guys don't think I can do anything anymore so we might as well just go right back to Radiant Garden like you said so everyone can go on and on about how sad and weak and _useless _I am all over again. That's what you both want," he glared back at the pair bitterly. "Right?"

"Of _course _it's not!" Donald quickly denied such a broad claim. "We want you to be ok!"

"Ok?!" Sora scoffed incredulously as he turned to face them. "You really think I'll _ever _be ok again after-" He swiftly stopped himself, his hands clenched in tight fists as he looked away before he could say anything more.

Yet even so, both of his companions immediately understood exactly where he had been going. "Sora…?" Goofy began gently. "It's ok. Like we said before, y-you can always talk to us about it. You know you can."

"I don't _want _to talk about it!" Sora snapped, tightly gripping his arms as he shut his eyes to block the tears from coming. Even if they were still well on their way all the same. "I don't even want to _think _about it! I don't want to think about how scared I was or how much it hurt or how hard it was-how hard it _still _is just to feel like _myself _again! But you guys just won't _stop _bringing it up! You won't stop _reminding _me about just how far I fell and how I just _can't _pick myself back up to where I used to be, no matter how much or how hard I try!"

"S-Sora…" Donald attempted to speak up, but Sora was far from finished yet.

"Neither of you have _any _idea just how much I want things to go back to the way they used to be before all this," he finally choked out a small, miserable sob. "I… I just wish I could forget any of it ever even happened…"

"But you can't…" Donald interjected calmly, softly even.

"That's right," Goofy agreed just as solemnly. "The only thing you can do now is keep movin' forward…"

Sora glanced up at both of them, the tears in his eyes clear now as he shook his head mournfully. "...Then why won't you _let _me?"

The pair took pause at this, genuinely caught off guard by such a question. "W-what do you mean?" Donald asked, confused.

Sora made a meager attempt at wiping a few of his stray tears away, though it was clear he was still absolutely dejected in just about every way. "I-I… I know you guys are just trying to protect me, but… you _can't _keep making me wait on the sidelines anymore. I get it, I still have a long way to go before I get all my strength back, but it _will _happen, I know it will. A-and in the meantime, I _want _to do whatever I can to help. I just… I want us to be a _team _again... Please…"

"We _are _a team, Sora," Goofy affirmed, though the realization soon dawned on him all the same. "We just… haven't really been including you in that team lately… have we?"

"No… You haven't…"

"We weren't trying to make you feel left out," Donald countered earnestly. "We just… we don't want to see you get into trouble again."

"But… that's what you guys are here for, right?" Sora asked, finally cracking the smallest of smiles, even amidst his slowly-fading tears. "To keep me out of trouble?"

"That's our job, alright," Goofy chuckled easily.

"And we take it _very _seriously," Donald added with a firm, yet playful grin. "But… maybe we've been taking it _too _seriously lately. So… What do you want us to do, Sora?"

"What do _I _want?" Sora repeated, quite surprised. "I can't believe it. You're asking _me _that question, Donald? Really?"

"Yeah, yeah, don't get used to it," the magician huffed, crossing his arms.

"What I want," Sora continued evenly, holding onto a small, hopeful smile all the while. "Is just to feel like I'm a part of the team again. I want to be allowed to actually _fight _again, a-and if it looks like it might be too much for me, then you're more than welcome to bail me out. But we have to keep going." At this, he took their newly-claimed Key out once again, holding it up for both of them to see. "We may have gotten this one, but we still don't know how many more the Organization might have by now. Not to mention we still need to help Roxas, and Ventus, and now Terra too. We've already made it this far. There's no use in turning back now."

"Are you sure, Sora?" Goofy asked. "There's no telling what we might run into next out there. So if you don't feel like you're ready, then there's no shame in going back and waiting until you are."

"To be honest, I don't know if I'll ever really be 'ready'," Sora replied evenly as he let the Key disappear. "But… the way I see it, I have to try to work my way to that point somehow, right? Besides, I know that if I do end up falling apart again-"

"Then you can count on us to pull you back together!" Donald chimed in encouragingly.

"That's right!" Goofy soundly agreed. "You can count on us to be right here by your side, no matter what happens!"

"I wouldn't have it any other way," Sora replied with a warm, genuine laugh. It was enough to brighten both of his companions' spirits as they all began to set out once more, ready to head out, not back to Radiant Garden, but to wherever their search for the Keys might take them next. And as they did, Sora couldn't help but share a soft, steady smile with both of them, immensely grateful to have their support and solidarity on his side once more. Because though they'd ran into more than a few setbacks as of late, what really mattered was that as long as they were together, as long as they were the team they'd always been, certainly there was nothing, not even all of the danger and darkness the worlds and the Organization could throw at them alike, they couldn't handle.

Right?

* * *

**Ahah well I figured I'd leave you on a mostly hopeful note in this one, cause the next Disney world is certainly going to... not have that. But instead of heading right to that Disney world, we're back on track with our usual schedule of interval chapters between them, so next time around we'll be hearing from someone we really haven't seen in this story yet, so that'll be exciting! But for now, please feel free to let me know what you thought of this one in the REVIEWS! Until next time! **


	26. Chapter 25: The Key and the Sea

_So we got ourselves a relatively shorter chapter this time around, mostly because its an interval chapter that's meant to set stuff up for later on. I also kinda borrowed a bit from KH3 here (haven't needed to do that in awhile) but I would still pay attention all the same since there are quite a few significant differences in store here for you all. Anyway, with all that out of the way, let's get strated!_

* * *

_Chapter 25: The Key and the Sea_

_I really don't get what everyone else believes_

"_After all, word on the street is that the old man has you pegged for our missing number thirteen."_

"_You're going around, acting like you're one of the guardians of light, but between that scar and those cracks on your Keyblade, I'd say you've got more of the mark of a seeker of darkness instead."_

"_The hidden darkness residing in the depths of your own heart has always been there. All we're doing is tapping into that darkness to claim it, and you, as our own."_

"_Try as you might, you can't save everyone. Not your missing lights, and especially not yourself."_

"_For when the time comes that you have fully submitted to my power, then not only shall you be the one to deliver to me the thirteen Keys to the Kingdom, but through you, I shall lay claim to the very heart of all worlds itself: Kingdom Hearts!"_

"The Organization always lies…" Sora whispered to himself both out of anxiety and desperation, largely in an attempt to banish the ever-growing collection of supposed "lies" from his thoughts. Still that attempt all but failed as he stole another glance up at the small mirror in front of him, only to be inevitably caught off guard by the changes that were starting to become more and more apparent in his own reflection. A few more stray, sparse locks of his hair had begun shifting from brown to white, and the lingering specks of gold in his eyes were all too quickly beginning to turn into blotches. Both small, subtle differences, ones that could only really be picked up by someone who was paying extremely close attention; and even if no one else was, Sora couldn't help but do exactly that.

"T-the Organization always lies…" he repeated, staring his own reflection down sternly. He ruffled his hair up a bit to conceal the white within it, and while what was happening with his eyes would be much harder to hide, he still hoped it wasn't enough for either Donald or Goofy to easily notice. Just as much as he wished it wasn't enough that he could just forget about it himself.

And yet, with the constant reminders from the Organization and his own appearance alike, forgetting or ignoring this problem was becoming increasingly more difficult to do. Which was why the most he could really do for the moment was hope that his worst fears were wrong, that all these troubling signs were something else and the Organization's usual dishonesty was nothing more than that. Because giving into the opposite line of thought and all of the dread and fear that came along with it was almost certainly what Xehanort wanted him to do.

So once again, Sora forced himself to put those fretful thoughts by the wayside, at least for the time being. "The Organization _always _lies," he reiterated to himself one final time, though this time a rather invasive, unwelcome thought came along with it. _And so do you. _

_Because I have to, _he internally argued with himself, letting out a frustrated, tired sigh as he began to make his way back up to the Gummi Ship's main deck. _I don't really have any other choice…_

Sora received yet another reminder of that fact as he reached the cockpit, only to be met by bright, encouraging smiles from Donald and Goofy alike as he made his way back to his seat. He forced on a fake, easy grin of his own to meet theirs, one that was still weighed down by the palpable guilt he carried inside. Despite recently voicing his desire to be included as part of the team again, Sora knew he wasn't exactly maintaining the balance he expected from them on his end of things. He had long since stopped keeping count of just how many lies he'd told and secrets he'd been keeping from them, the ones that had accidentally already revealed themselves to the pair, like his cracked Keyblade or scarred chest, notwithstanding. But still, how could he possibly tell them the truth now, after all of the worry and stress he'd put them through when he had let himself be captured and tortured by Maleficent? They had only just started easing up on their constant fretting over him, their rather stifling, restraining concern calming back down into their usual relaxed rapport. Sora knew that the last thing he needed now was to stir them up once more over something that might arguably be even worse, especially when he was still largely hopeful that this was something he would be able to take care of and resolve on his own.

And if he couldn't, well, he would just have to cross that bridge when and if he got to it.

Still, as caught up in his own anxious thoughts, Sora didn't even overhear most of the conversation Donald and Goofy had started without him until he was directly brought back into it. "So?" the magician asked somewhat impatiently. "Any ideas?"

"Huh?" Sora blinked, completely lost as he glanced back at his companions. "Um… ideas about what?"

"Oh for crying out loud!" Donald huffed as Goofy let out a small chuckle. "Would it kill you to pay attention for a change?"

"We were just talkin' about where we should head to next," Goofy explained. "Has your Keys Instinct picked up on where we should look for another one?"

"Oh, uh, well, to be honest, I… I haven't really been focusing on looking…" Sora said with a small shrug.

"Then what _have _you been focusing on?" Donald asked, raising a skeptical eyebrow.

"Um…" Sora hesitated, quickly shifting his train of thought away from what he actually _had _been focusing on to something that was much easier to discuss with them instead. Something that he certainly had been focused on as well, ever since they'd left Atlantis, albeit just to a lesser extent. "I-I've just been thinking about what Terra‒or, uh, his memories, I guess‒told me about how we can help him. He said we should start by finding Ventus."

"Well, gee, Sora, that's gonna be pretty tricky," Jiminy pointed out as he hopped up to take a perch on Sora's shoulder. "Didn't the king say Master Aqua is the only one who knows where Ventus is?"

"Yeah, w-well, since Ventus' heart is in mine, maybe he can give us some sort of clue?" Sora suggested. "He _did _help me figure out that guy in the armor was connected to Terra, after all."

"Ok, then has he told you anything about where we might be able to find him yet?" Goofy asked, curiously.

"N-no…" Sora sighed, having a shaking suspicion as to why. Because if Ventus was anything like Roxas, then certainly, he had likely joined his Nobody in his valiant, selfless mission to internally shield his heart against Xehanort's malice. A noble goal, one Sora usually would have been immensely grateful for… if such protection didn't come at the expense of both Roxas and Ventus resigning themselves to remain trapped within the prison that was his very own heart. "B-but that doesn't mean he won't. And if he doesn't, then maybe… maybe we could work on getting Aqua back in the meantime!"

"But Riku and the king are already doing that!" Donald protested.

"Yeah, and look how far they've gotten in finding her," Sora countered, a clear hint of dry sarcasm in his tone. "It's been _months _now and she's still stuck in the Realm of Darkness. So maybe if they're having a hard time finding her there, _we _should go and try to find her ourselves!"

"What?" Donald balked incredulously at this plan. "No way!"

"You can't go there until you have the power of waking!" Goofy reminded just as firmly.

"Ugh, right… _that_…" Sora grumbled, knowing that obtaining that lost power had been about the very last thing on his mind lately compared to everything else.

"Plus, even if you did, going there now would _still _be a bad idea," Donald added, crossing his arms. "You being ready to get back into the worlds and face off against Heartless and Nobodies is one thing-"

"B-but going somewhere like the Realm of Darkness so soon after, w-well, ya know, might not be the best thing for you to do right now, Sora," Goofy finished calmly, evenly.

"You guys don't know that," Sora argued, annoyed at even this vague mention of his captivity and its aftermath. "You've never even been there before, but _I _have, with Riku, remember?"

"Yeah, and you almost weren't able to get back either, _remember_?" Donald countered crossly.

"Well, we _did_," Sora shot back, standing up on his chair so he could properly face both of his companions. "Look, I'm just saying, going to the Realm of Darkness ourselves might be our best shot at helping Aqua. And, once she's back, she can help us find Ventus, and both of them can help us save Terra. Then, after we get the rest of the Keys, we'll have everything and everyone we need to take on the Organization and stop Xehanort once and for all!" _And maybe that'll be enough to stop this too… _he thought, briefly glancing down at his hands to see the slightest bit of familiar, unwelcome darkness just starting to peek past his gloves as it spilled onto his fingers. Another sign, another piece of proof that he could only hope would go away if the elderly master causing it all was finally defeated.

"I… don't think it's that simple…" Jiminy noted with a frown. "For starters, do you even know _how _to get into the Realm of Darkness, Sora?"

Sora flinched at this, his resolve and readiness to go through with such a risky plan completely undermined by the logistics of it. "Well, no…" he admitted, though he was quick to come up with an idea to change that fact as he pulled his Gummi Phone out. "But Riku and the king do!"

"They won't tell you," Donald countered.

"Nope, at least not until we've finished finding all the Keys," Goofy agreed.

"And _especially _not after what happened with Maleficent," the magician continued sternly.

Though Sora was more than ready to argue that point in particular, he narrowly refrained, knowing just how much of an earful he'd likely get if he told them Riku really had no idea about his brief stint as Maleficent's prisoner or the lengthy recovery period that came right after it. And as far as he was concerned, he had every intention of keeping it that way, regardless of a certain promise he might have made to someone else to do otherwise.

Even so, Sora ultimately knew both of his companions were absolutely right. The chance of either Riku or the king divulging their method for getting to the Realm of Darkness was quite low, especially since finding Aqua was _their _primary mission, not the trio's. But even beyond that, Sora could practically hear what Riku would say if he actually did call him to ask; he would chastise him for his brash, brazen behavior before simply rejecting his request and reminding him to get back to looking for the rest of the Keys. And after that, it would be over. It was such a predictable conversation that he knew it would be a waste of time even having it, yet that hardly stopped him from wanting to try all the same. If only for just the smallest of chances of setting a series of events in motion that could very well end up saving his heart and his life.

He was just about to make the call to make that attempt too, until the Gummi Phone ironically enough rang with an incoming call instead.

"The king?" Donald and Goofy exchanged a curious glance.

"Riku," Sora guessed, taking in a deep breath as he resolved himself to not back down, no matter what Riku might have to say. However, when he pressed the button to answer the call, he was surprised to find that wasn't who was actually on the other end of the line.

"_...Is this a bad time?"_Ienzo greeted with a confused frown upon hearing the trio let out a shared disappointed groan.

"No, uh, we were just… sort of expecting someone else," Sora admitted with a small sigh.

"_Oh," _Ienzo said shortly before he continued with his purpose behind this call. _"Well, I do have some news about Ansem's code and how it relates to bringing Roxas back."_

"Wait, really?" Sora asked, Donald, Goofy, and Jiminy all perking up alongside him upon hearing this. "What is it?"

"_Well, let's start with the Virtual Twilight Town," _Ienzo began, offering a small chuckle over the group's newfound enthusiasm. _"We've been working on decrypting its data and the progress has been promising. I don't think it will be very long at all before we get the transporter up and running again and once we do-"_

"Then we can finally help Roxas, right?" Sora ventured, genuinely hopeful even if he was somewhat lost amidst all this talk of virtual worlds and data.

"_We'll be a good step closer toward doing so, at least," _Ienzo corrected. _"But we'd still need to find a way to release his heart from yours, Sora. Which brings me to Ansem the Wise's data. We've discovered a very interesting passage; I'll read you exactly what he wrote: 'I have discovered three unique hearts inside of Sora's. One is Roxas. The second has been with Sora for nearly as long. And a third has resided in Sora for even longer‒most of his life, in fact. This is a truly astonishing discovery. While these hearts have now melded with Sora‒grown silent and indistinct‒he retains the memories of all three. The memories have been compartmentalized-each placed in its own 'box,' so to speak. I surmise the hearts can be awoken, provided that each of them is returned to the box that contains the correct memories. Awaken and release these hearts, unite each with its own memories, and I believe any or all three of these people can be made real again."_

While this piece of information was quite dense to say the least, a number of details stood out to the trio, a handful of which they were already aware of. However, something in particular caught Sora's attention above all else. "_Three _hearts?" he asked incredulously, skimming a hand over his own where these three were supposedly hidden. "I thought it was just two…"

"Yep, Roxas and Ventus," Goofy noted knowingly.

"So who's the third one then?" Donald asked, confused.

"I… have no idea…" Sora shook his head. "I didn't‒wait," he stopped short, his eyes wide as a sudden, dreadful thought occurred to him yet again. "Uh, h-hey, Ienzo? J-just curious, when's this data from, exactly?"

"_Oh, well, it's from right before Ansem the Wise… d-disappeared," _Ienzo glanced down sadly. _"The timestamp marks the day of its writing at around half a year ago, so I would say it's mostly timely, if that's what you're worried about."_

"Y-yeah," Sora said with a sigh of relief. After all, if this information was from that long ago, before his ill-fated Mark of Mastery exam at least, then that fortunately ruled out the absolute worst possible identity for that third unknown heart inside his own. "Thanks…"

"_Even if the owner of this third heart is currently unclear, Ansem's research does mention something that could prove to be useful in recovering all three," _Ienzo continued, referencing his copious notes all the while. _"He refers to it as 'the Key to Return Hearts'. It's a Keyblade that has the ability to do, well, exactly as its name implies: return lost hearts to where they belong."_

"Well, golly, that sounds like just the thing we need!" Jiminy chimed in, impressed.

"Yeah, can you tell us where we can find it?" Sora eagerly asked, excited at the prospect of a tool that could so easily help Roxas, Ventus, and perhaps even that unknown third heart in one fell swoop.

"_That's… where things get complicated…" _Ienzo sighed. _"The data on this Key is very limited at best. It's basically a minor footnote compared to everything else Ansem recorded. What I just told you is all I really know about it at the moment, but if you'd like, I can try to do more digging to see if I can uncover anything else."_

"That would be great," Sora said with an allayed smile. "Thanks for your help, Ienzo."

"_Certainly," _Ienzo returned his cordial grin. _"As always, I'll make sure you all will be the first to know when there's a new development. Until then, take care."_

With this, the scientist signed off, leaving the others to mull over the very useful, though still somewhat mystifying findings he'd provided them with. "Gawrsh, maybe we should be on the lookout for this 'Key to Return Hearts' too," Goofy suggested. "Ya know, as long as we're out and about in the worlds."

"_Another _Key to search for?" Donald groaned tiredly. "Don't we already have enough to track down?"

"Looking for this one will be worth it," Sora insisted earnestly. "Especially if it can really set Roxas and Ventus free."

"What about that third heart?" Jiminy inquired.

"Them too," Sora nodded, resolved. "I have a feeling that whoever they are, they need our help just as much as the others do."

"As if our list of people you want to help wasn't already long enough as it is…" Donald said with something of a teasing smile.

"Aw, shucks, Donald, I happen to think that Sora's knack for helping people is one of the best things about him," Goofy remarked with a proud smile.

"Well, at least _someone _does," Sora said, smirking back at both of his companions fondly. "Still, we won't be helping anyone if we don't get the rest of those Keys."

"That's the spirit!" Donald chimed impatiently. "At least you're finally off that going to the Realm of Darkness kick…"

"Hey, only because there's a better option out there," Sora countered, his tone turning a bit more serious. "If we don't find that Key to Return Hearts soon, then going to the Realm of Darkness is back on the table."

"Then we better hope Riku and the king beat us to it first," Goofy chuckled as Donald joined in.

"Yeah, then we won't have to worry about Sora getting himself lost in there without us," the magician joked lightly.

"Aw, c'mon, fellas, cut Sora a little slack," Jiminy added, joining the levity as he hopped up onto the back of the chair. "I'm sure he'd find his way around the Realm of Darkness just fine. Well, as long as he had a map on him, that is."

At this, all three of them burst into a hearty round of laughter, one Sora made no effort to join in on, largely since it was all at his own expense. Instead, he turned away from all three of them, a severely irritated scowl on his face as he crossed his arms tightly. While he usually would have countered such playful claims with an even bout of teasing all his own, this time he remained silent, stewing in growing frustration over their obvious doubts in his abilities. Doubts they still had no qualms about showing even despite their promise to treat him like an equal member of the team instead of the weakest link within it.

Still, Sora chose to ignore those pressing doubts in favor of focusing his thoughts on a much more important cause. Namely, the three hearts resting inside his own, each awaiting some kind of release. And each depending on _him _to offer them that release. He had already made such a promise to Roxas before, and while he'd yet to have had the chance to meet Ventus personally, he was just as ready to carry that promise over to him as well. The third heart was still a mystery, an absolute unknown that was throwing a surprising wrench into an already complicated matter and yet Sora couldn't help but strive to assist them as well, regardless of who they might be. And if this supposed, elusive Key to Return Hearts was the best way to do exactly that, then he wouldn't rest until it was found and those wayward hearts were back where they belonged.

After all, it was the least he could do to repay the kindness of three innocent hearts that had courageously, selflessly taken on the burden of protecting his own. However undeserving and unimportant he believed his own heart to be by comparison.

* * *

"_In fact, I would like to believe... Maybe he can set things right. A boy like him who touches so many hearts—he could open the right door, and save all those people whose lives I managed to ruin. So many are still waiting for their new beginning, their birth by sleep. Even me...and even you."_

"_What's this boy's name?"_

"_His name… is…"_

"Sora…" Aqua repeated once more, her voice barely above a whisper, though a calm, comforted smile still hung on her face all the while. She wasn't sure how long she'd been sitting on this darkened shore‒time in general was just about impossible to determine in the Realm of Darkness, after all. But for now, she was content to remain here glad to find a rare place of peace and a friendly face, even if the face of her current companion was concealed by the dark hood covering his head.

As for that companion, he was quite mysterious to say the least, seemingly bereft of all knowledge of his own name and most of his history, or so he said. Even so, the tale he'd just regaled to Aqua, one of periled worlds, encroaching darkness, and the brave boy who had risen to the occasion to restore the fading light, had thoroughly warmed her heart. Especially when she realized that meant that the assistance she had risked so much to offer Riku and Mickey had not gone in vain after all. But even more than that, she couldn't help but smile when she thought about Sora, that young, sweet, spirited boy she'd briefly met on the Destiny Islands what felt like a lifetime ago now. Sora, who had apparently grown up to become a true hero when the worlds needed one most. Sora, who, at least as far as her hooded companion was concerned, could be the key to liberating Terra and Ventus and perhaps, even herself.

And after all of the misery and loneliness Aqua had become acquainted with in this doomed, forgotten realm, the promise, the hope that she might finally return to the world of light and to her lost friends once more, was well worth holding out just a bit longer for.

The constant quiet din of the gentle dark tide washing up on the shadowy shore was soon interrupted by a sudden question from the hooded man sitting beside her. "Tell me," he began, his face still all but obscured as he looked down to her. "Will you stay here?"

Aqua nodded, not really needing to think twice about it. "I can't shake the feeling that these waters touch another shore I've visited," she replied, fondly imaging that sunset-soaked sea and its peaceful warmth once more.

"The Destiny Islands…" her companion correctly mused.

"You've heard of them?"

"Yes. They are quite lovely‒a far cry from this wasteland."

Aqua found herself smiling along with this statement, longing to see that shore, longing to bask in the radiance of its vibrant sun, longing to find her way back to the light where she belonged. "I'm staying," she affirmed, confident in her decision. "Someone will come for me."

"These waters are the in-between of dark and light," the hooded man explained poetically. "Its shores the margins of day and night. They brought you and I together; so why not you and another?"

"Yes," Aqua soundly agreed, holding onto that hope and willing to wait as long as she had to until that distant dream finally became a reality.

And so the unlikely pair sat together like that for quite some time, awash in the solemn serenity of the dark sea before them as they patiently awaited some form of salvation from the other side of it. There was no telling exactly when that salvation would end up coming, but for her part at least, Aqua was certain that it would eventually. And besides, she had waited this long; certainly, she could afford to wait just a little longer.

Or so she thought.

Because in time, in the span of what only felt like a few mere hours, the steady calm of the shadowed scene before them was soon broken. Aqua caught onto the sound of approaching footsteps in the sand somewhere behind them, an all-too-familiar aura of sinister intent tipping her keen senses off. And in an instant she knew, they were no longer alone.

"Who's there?" she called, distrustfully glancing over her shoulder at this new arrival. Her hooded companion did the same to find a man, clad in a black coat practically identical to his own, marching straight toward them. His hood was down, revealing his long silver white hair, piercing golden eyes, and fierce features. Though Aqua knew she'd never once met him in her life, she could have sworn there was something almost strangely… familiar about him, though she couldn't even begin to place how.

"You…" the hooded man seemed to recognize him, his tone immediately filled with ire as he stood. Aqua did the same, warily keeping her sights set on the newcomer as she took up something of a defensive stance. After all, darkness practically radiated off of him, and though she wished she still had her master's treasured Keyblade on hand, she knew she'd do well to be prepared for a struggle all the same.

What she wasn't prepared for was what came next. "Master…" the newcomer began, his tone even yet dripping with faux respect as he addressed the hooded man. "I must have a word with you..."

At this, her companion finally removed his hood for the first time, catching Aqua off guard in the process. Her newfound friend was unsurprisingly well-on in years, with an aged, yet wizened way about him, even if some unknown hint of regret still filled his eyes all the same. "'Master'?" he scoffed bitterly. "So now you mock me."

The newcomer ignored him, clearly having an unknown intention of his own in mind with this meeting. "Since the time that we last met, you've been quite busy, haven't you?" he asked, his tone icy as he began to step forward. "Your research has been scattered, but word has it that a handful of your once-turncoat apprentices have returned to pick up where you left off."

The so-called master seemed genuinely stunned by this news. "M-my apprentices…" he repeated, somewhat shaken. "Who-"

"Nevermind who exactly," the newcomer scoffed. "They're all traitors to the Organization they once served. And yet, their work is still proving useful to our cause all the same, though only to a certain extent. There are still some… gaps in their findings, so to speak. Which is why I decided to come directly to the source to fill those gaps in."

The master glared his supposed former apprentice down sternly upon hearing this. "You will receive no such assistance from me," he said firmly. "Now, away with you!"

Aqua likewise narrowed her eyes at the newcomer at this, her hands clenched into tight fists as she internally confirmed that this strange man was trouble. Yet even so, he made no effort to leave as he simply smiled calmly. "All I seek is your reports on matters of memory. I know such notes exist, particularly when it comes to reconstructing memories, just as you did for Sora."

Aqua was unable to hold back a soft, startled gasp, her eyes widening as she heard this clearly wicked man so much as merely mention Sora. Obviously, there was an entirely untold story here that she didn't know, but she refrained from voicing any of her countless questions about it in favor of continuing to listen to see what else she could somehow glean. "The driving force behind recovering Sora's memories was not me," the master shook his head. "Rather, it was Naminé. The answers that you seek lie with her, and at the moment, I am deeply disheartened to say that she is completely unavailable to give them to you, or to anyone else, for that matter."

"Naminé is hardly a concern of ours," the newcomer countered. "You were still there with her while she was restoring his memories; you observed her power firsthand and documented every ounce of research on it you possibly could. Which is why I want to know, where are those missing notes?"

"Why do you seek them?" the master asked suspiciously. "What purpose could such information serve the Organization in its current state at all?"

"It could serve to help sway a certain wayward vessel to our side," the newcomer said ominously. "For certainly, if one has the knowledge of reconstructing memories, then that information could just as easily be turned around to _deconstruct _memories as well, wouldn't you agree? And if Naminé herself is no longer around to do the job for us, then why not look for assistance from the next best source?"

The master only had a serve, steadfast scowl to offer his former apprentice at this, rejecting any sort of request for his aid whatsoever. "I have no intentions of helping you drag some poor, innocent soul into your depraved designs by tearing their memories apart," he concluded, refusing to say anything more on the matter.

The newcomer however, simply met that refusal with another smug, callous smirk. "Very well," he took another step forward as he reached out to the master. "If you won't tell me here, then-"

He was abruptly cut off as a sudden hand came in to harshly swipe his away. For the first time since his arrival, the newcomer finally turned his attention to Aqua, who had rushed to stand between him and the master. "I think you should go," she said assertively, refusing to back down, even despite her glaring lack of a weapon.

The newcomer regarded her for a moment, his expression hardly seeming to convey any sort of confusion as he looked her over. "A lost guardian of light?" he raised a knowing eyebrow before taking on a haughty smirk. "You wait here, for the king and his fool. But certainly, you must know… they'll _never _be able to find you."

Aqua didn't get a chance to respond to this as a new figure suddenly burst out of the shadows behind the newcomer, a massive monster composed of sheer darkness, one that didn't hesitate to lash out to strike her. As unprepared as she was for the blow, it hit her hard in her abdomen, sending her flying across the shore to the point that she only narrowly made a clean landing upon it. Her stomach ached, the wind knocked out of her as she took a moment to recover, and though her hand flinched out on instinct, unsurprisingly, no Keyblade took its place within her grasp.

The newcomer seemed to notice this too as she stood back up to properly face him. "Where is your Keyblade?" he asked, an edge of cruel mockery in his tone.

Aqua huffed, wiping away the sparse drops of blood that had escaped her mouth from the monster's heavy blow as she prepared to rush back into the fray. "Don't need it," she hissed, bravely running forward at full speed. She performed a high, graceful leap, sweeping her leg out wide to land a heavy, retaliating kick to the face of the monster that had struck her. It reeled back as she leapt away from it, though only for a moment. In an instant, it managed to catch her by the leg, drawing her back in as its beedy gaze leered at her with clearly violent intent.

Yet before it could carry that intent out, her companion quickly rushed in to try and put a stop to it. "No more!" he cried in protest, desperate to ensure no harm would come to his new friend. "I-I'll go."

"You are indeed _wise_," the newcomer grinned, his tone cloying amidst his triumph. It was a triumph Aqua wasn't about to let him achieve so easily, however, as she succeeded in wrenching herself out of the monster's grip. She aimed another kick at the newcomer himself, though he easily blocked it off with his forearm, repelling her back to the edge of the shore, ready for whatever he intended on throwing her way next.

And yet…

"Poor thing," the newcomer smiled maliciously, his guardian converging a sheer orb of immense, pure darkness high above him. "I mustn't leave you with nothing…"

Aqua raised her already high guard as that emerging darkness only grew more immense with each passing second. And yet, despite her best attempts to be prepared, there was little she could do as the guardian launched it right at her.

Perhaps if she still had a Keyblade on her side, perhaps if she had even a small, sparing ounce of luck for a change, things might have gone differently. But as it stood, the brutal attack struck her chest squarely, throwing her back violently toward the dark ocean behind her. She was barely even aware that she was flying back toward it as time seemed to slow to an agonizing crawl, pain wracking through her chest and striking at her heart in particular. That pain was all she was even remotely able to feel as she crashed into the shadowy sea, breaking its surface as she began to sink into its unfathomable depths entirely.

All her newfound friend was able to do was watch in horror from his place on the shore as she disappeared into the sea, collapsing to his knees in mourning over the valiant guardian of light who had just been lost to the darkness. Just as was the inevitable fate of everything and everyone who was unfortunate to fall into this miserable, nightmarish realm of decay and death to begin with.

* * *

She was drowning.

There was no other word to describe it. She sank further and further into the endless void of the dark sea, her hands outstretched toward a surface she could no longer find. The icy water surrounding her deafened her, drenched her in its bitter, numbing chill as they filled her lungs, clouded her mind, leached away at her heart. And yet, the waters themselves were far from the only thing poisoning her heart in particular.

"W-what… what is this feeling…?" she choked, unsure of if she'd even spoken aloud as everything seemed to echo off into empty silence around her. Slowly, she glanced down at her chest, to the very spot that darkened orb had struck her, only to find that its shadows had stuck with her, spreading across her entire body like a thick, inky shroud. The searing pain she had known just moments ago soon began to dull into a constant, cold ache, her heart starting to waver under the swift, subtle shadows falling over it. Perhaps if that darkness hadn't also begun to dull her thoughts along with it, she would have thought to fight back against it. But instead, she languished in it, unable to fight, unable to move, unable to barely even think as grief and despair and fear overwhelmed her senses all at once.

That is, until she saw them, both of them, falling ever deeper into the pitch black ocean alongside her. Both of their eyes were a piercing, unnatural shade of gold as they stared at her wordlessly. Expecting her to save them both even as she began to lose herself entirely.

"V-Ven…" she reached out to him first, her hand trembling as the darkness continued to cover it like a glove. He was clad in a dark bodysuit she knew well wasn't his own, his gaze harsh and bitter and brimming with malice and hatred that certainly had no place there in the slightest.

"T-Terra…" she tried to reach him next, her heart breaking at the mere sight of him. His hair had shifted from its natural earthy brown to an alarming shade of pure white, his eyes offering her a sinister glare that lacked every ounce of warmth and kindness she knew should have been there instead.

And, almost as soon as she had seen them, they were gone, mere visions of what she had once had. What she had likely lost for good. For as much as she had dreamed, she had hoped and waited for so long now to see them both, even if only for one last time, all those hopes had been in vain. Because now, without a doubt, she knew... that she would never find her way back to them again.

"_Aqua… do not lose sight of the light within the darkness…"_

"M-Master Eraqus…?" she muttered, confused amidst her anguish. By now the darkness had all but binded her as she finally reached the very bottom of the dark sea, her back resting upon a solid, glass-like surface as she lay silent, uncertain of what was to become of her next. Still, she didn't fight the darkness as it continued to swallow her from the inside out, changing her, _transforming _her in ways she wasn't even aware of as her heart was hollowed out by it completely. As it stole everything from her and left nothing behind in its wake.

She only barely managed to regain any sense of cognizance at all as a Keyblade suddenly slammed down onto the surface directly beside her head. She shuddered, startled as she bolted upright to see who her attacker was, only to find _herself _standing right in front of her. Or rather, her phantom, a familiar trick the Realm of Darkness had thrown her way several times already. Which was why it was hardly any surprise to see this sadistic apparition now.

"Y-you again…" she scowled, forcing herself to stand even despite the heavy feeling of weakness weighing her down all the while. "Is… is enough never enough for you…?"

Her phantom largely ignored her sardonic remark, sneering coldly as she brandished her master's former Keyblade almost mockingly at her. "The last spark of light inside your heart is dying," she said, her voice just as empty and cruel as always. "There's no use in trying to save it. The moment it's extinguished, you'll finally become one with the darkness. Just like you've always deserved."

Aqua tensed, glancing down at her trembling hands to see that they were starting to look more like claws instead, still drenched in the deepest shadows all the while. No doubt a sign of what the darkness was doing to her, of the monster it was trying to force her to become. "N-no…" she whispered, genuinely frightened. Still, she was quick to turn that fear into resolve as her master's words echoed in the back of her scattered mind once more. "I can't… I _won't _lose sight of the light within the darkness!"

Her phantom's wicked expression only grew more severe at this as she prepared to unleash a brutal attack. "You already have," she growled before she launched herself forward for her first strike.

Without any way to defend herself, the blow hit Aqua hard, sending her flying back hard across the mirror-like ground. As she struck it, she managed to finally catch a glimpse of her reflection, only to find that her usually blue locks were starting to be overtaken by white, her similarly-colored eyes taking on a haunting yellow glow so similar to what she'd seen in Ventus and Terra's. She was losing this battle before it had even really begun, she knew that. And yet, some stubborn, perhaps even foolish part of her was urging her onward to fight it with everything she had all the same. For herself, and for them.

It wasn't long before her phantom was upon her again, but this time, Aqua was ready for her. She managed to maneuver out of the path of her Keyblade just in time before making use of the only weapon she had at her disposal now, which just so happened to be her newfound claws. She lashed out harshly, catching her phantom across the face and tearing a long, jagged series of bloodless cuts that were completely cleared away in an instant. The phantom quickly retaliated with a series of fast, broad swipes, all of which Aqua did her best to avoid, even though it was hard to block out the vicious remarks her double sent her way with each one.

"The life you used to know is _over_," she said, her dry tone dripping with sheer malice. "Even if you could go back to the realm of light, there's nothing left for you there. You don't even belong there to begin with."

Aqua said nothing in response to these callous claims, knowing it would be hard to counter something so undeniably true. Instead, she kept her movements as fast and steady as she possibly could, trying not to stumble even as the darkness continued to try to anchor her down into stillness. With a Keyblade on hand, her phantom clearly had the advantage in this fight, but Aqua lardly let that stop her as she rushed in once more, this time on the offensive. Her claws lashed out widely, striking her phantom squarely in the chest, but this time she didn't stop. She kept going, ripping into her wicked reflection over and over again with a manic, almost feral sort of fury. Fury that only served to stoke the fires of malice and hatred sparking up within her.

Her phantom let it happen, smiling, no, _laughing _twistedly all the while. Consumed in her own vibrant rage, Aqua hardly paid her any mind as she landed a brutal kick to knock her phantom back roughly. The double crashed to the glassy ground, her Keyblade disappearing just before she began to do the same. Yet even as she did, she wore a demented smile as Aqua glared down at her, darkness bristling around her as nothing less than the deepest disdain flooded through her viens.

"Don't you see?" the phantom asked with a smug, practically triumphant smirk. "Your light was lost from the very start. And now, all that's left… is a vessel of _darkness_."

Aqua jolted at this, her common sense swiftly returning to her as she realized just what she'd been doing. But by all accounts, that realization had come too late. It was only as she looked down at her reflection once more that she realized she didn't even recognize who stood below her in the slightest. She only briefly looked up as her phantom disappeared into nothingness, her sadistic laughter echoing in her mind as she slowly collapsed to her knees in grief, anger, and shame.

Grief over the light she knew she'd long since lost, over the friends she'd never get to see again, over the life she'd never get to have back. Anger, over being abandoned for so long, over being forced to wander an empty, forsaken realm while everyone else got to thrive back in the light, over just how _unfair _it all was, over how she had once hoped and fought for so much only to end up with _nothing _to show for all her struggles. Shame over how _powerless _she was to change any of it, how she was far too weak to save herself, or anyone else for that matter. Over how no matter how long or how hard she fought, there had never been any hope for her from the very beginning.

The venom of darkness had just about worked its devastating course through her entirely and this time, she didn't try to resist it. Instead, she lay down upon the mirror below her, staring up at the dark sea above her with tears in her now-golden eyes. A few of those tears fell as she let out a soft, resigned breath, ready to let it take her away from all of the pain she knew she was powerless to escape on her own. And yet, just before she allowed those shadows to consume her entirely, she whispered one final, mournful message to her two closest friends, even though she knew there wasn't the faintest of chances that they'd somehow hear her.

"Terra… Ven… I'm so sorry…"

And just like that, she silently, solemnly let the darkness snuff out what little was left of her light completely. Because after wandering in the shadows for so long, it only made sense for her to finally become one herself.

* * *

**Awwww poor Aqua! Honestly, I love her and I'm so glad I finally got to write for her _25 chapters into this story smh_. She really is one of my favorite KH characters though, so I'm looking forward to writing more of her later on down the line. Anyway, next time around is a Disney world I've been _really _looking forward to, one that's from KH3, though I intend on basically overhauling it and doing almost my entirely own thing with it. So that'll be a lot of fun! Until then, don't forget to REVIEW please! Until next time! **


	27. Chapter 26: I See the Light

_Ok! So here we are at the start of the Tangled chapters, which is something I've really been looking for. While I liked the Tangled world in KH3 from a design and gameplay perspective, the story left... a bit something to be desired (same with Frozen, but we're still leagues away from that point). So I decided to take something of a different direction here with my take on things. I hope you enjoy it! Let's get started!_

* * *

_Chapter 26: I See the Light_

_ And at last I see the light  
__And it's like the fog has lifted  
__And at last I see the light  
__And it's like the sky is new  
__And it's warm and real and bright  
__And the world has somehow shifted  
__All at once everything looks different  
__Now that I see you_

"_Why can't I go outside?"_

"_The outside world is a dangerous place, filled with horrible, selfish people. You must stay here, where you're safe. Do you understand, flower?"_

"_Yes, Mommy…"_

_But the walls of that tower could not hide everything. Each year, on her birthday, and only on her birthday, those lights would appear in the sky. And each year, she would watch them from her window, wondering what the world might be like beyond the walls of the tower she'd always known. _

_Wondering if those lights were somehow, some way meant for her. Wondering if she'd ever find out what they truly were. Wondering if she'd ever get the chance to see them up close, in person. _

_And most of all, wondering when her life would really begin._

* * *

The late summer morning's sun was bright and vibrant as it slipped through the branches and leaves of the towering trees dotting the lush, open forest. Echoing lightly through that forest was a pleasant natural symphony composed of a soft, warm breeze, buzzing bees, and cheery birdsong. It all came together to create a calm, peaceful atmosphere, one that Sora, Donald, and Goofy alike couldn't help but appreciate as they ventured out into the new world that contained it. Especially given the rather daunting circumstances or familiar dangers they usually found themselves facing within the first few minutes of arriving at any given new locale.

"Garwsh, it sure is a pretty day," Goofy noted as he squinted up at the sun in the clear blue skies above.

"Yeah, the weather's great," Sora agreed with an easy sigh as he hung his hands behind his head. "It'd be perfect for a picnic."

"Once we find the next Key you can have as many picnics as you want," Donald remarked, ever mindful of their mission.

"Speakin' of which, got any ideas about where this world's Key might be, Sora?" Goofy inquired curiously.

"Mm… I'm starting to think that it's less of a question of where we'll find them and more of a question of _how_," Sora mused thoughtfully. "Every Key we've gotten so far just sort of… came to me at the right time, whenever I was feeling the right thing."

"So I guess it really _is _like Master Yen Sid said," Goofy added with a small laugh. "Your heart's being your guiding key to help us get the Keys!"

"So does that mean we're just supposed to keep winging it like we've been doing?" Donald asked, raising a dubious eyebrow.

"Yeah, pretty much," Sora shrugged. "It's been working for us this far, aside from a few, uh…"

"Bumps in the road?" Goofy filled in.

"...If that's what you want to call them," Sora said, his relaxed smile fading somewhat at the very thought of such "bumps". "B-but I'm sure finding the rest won't be _too _hard as long as we keep doing what we've been doing, right?"

"Fine," Donald said with a resigned huff. "Just as long as there's no Heartless."

"Or Nobodies!" Goofy added with a knowing grin.

Of course, just as soon as these sentiments were voiced, a loud, terrified cry sounded out from the forest just behind the trio. It didn't take them but a second to find its source: a strapping young man, roughly in his early-20s, with dark brown hair and light facial hair and even darker brown eyes. His attire was simple, telling of someone who traveled frequently, though at the moment, he was on the ground, nursing the minor bumps and bruises he received from being thrown over the edge of a short, upper outcropping. However, it seemed as though he wasn't even going to get a moment's rest to do so as a horde of monsters, Heartless to be exact, flung themselves over that same cliff to continue their pursuit and attack.

In an instant, the man was on his feet to flee from his assailants, his eyes wide with apt panic as he ran in toward the spectating trio. "Make way!" he shouted at them urgently. "Make way!"

They did so just in time, parting to let the man make his escape, though they stopped the Heartless in their tracks as soon as they summoned their weapons to confront them. "Looks like you spoke too soon, Donald," Goofy noted, his shield at the ready.

"What else is new…?" the magician grumbled, annoyed by this persistent threat. Even so, that annoyance soon turned to concern as he glanced over at Sora, who by all accounts, seemed genuinely prepared for the oncoming fray this time around. "Do you feel like you're up for this, Sora?"

"Yeah," Sora nodded, securing his grip on the Kingdom Key. "As long as we do this together like we said, then I'll have no problems."

"Then let's do it!" Donald and Goofy both chimed in eager support.

However, just before the trio could take the Heartless horde head-on, the man who had been fleeing from them just so happened to take a peek out from behind the rock he was currently using as shelter. And he couldn't help but notice the group that had come to his aid, intentionally or not, just in the nick of time. "Say…" he said with a growing grin. "Since you three seem to know what you're doing. Mind if I leave this one to you?"

"Sure," Sora agreed, glancing back over his shoulder briefly. "We've got this covered."

"You have my thanks," the man said, letting out a sigh of relief as he pressed behind the rock again, somewhat disgruntled. "The horse was bad enough…" he muttered to himself tiredly. "Don't need any monsters on my trail."

"The _what _was enough?" Donald piped up, having barely overheard him.

"Uh, n-nothing, it's nothing," the man assured, throwing on a hasty grin. "Name's Flynn, by the way. Flynn Rider. Oh! Watch out!" Flynn warned, pointing to the Heartless as they began to beset the group fending them off. "They look mad!"

As soon as he was sure the trio was thoroughly distracted by the Heartless, Flynn didn't hesitate to begin sneaking away before breaking out into a full-on sprint out of the immediate area, fleeing from not just the Heartless, but his previous pursuers as well. His escape went unnoticed by the trio as they engaged the monsters in combat, fortunately not too daunted by their surprisingly modest numbers, even if their aggression was just as high as it always seemed to be. All the while, Donald and Goofy made sure to pay subtle, yet careful attention to Sora whenever they could, sparing brief glances at him between blows just to make sure he was managing to keep up. But much to their shared relief, Sora was holding his own against the Heartless just fine, his Keyblade swinging steady as he fought off the monsters with just as much steadfast verve as he usually carried in battle. And given the small, rather basic set of Heartless they were up against to begin with, it didn't take long for the trio to clear them all out completely with little trouble along the way. However, in the bout of newfound peace that came along with their success, they were quick to take note that something, or some_one_ rather, seemed to be missing.

"Hey, where'd Flynn go?" Sora asked, glancing around for any signs of him.

"The Heartless must have scared him off," Donald guessed.

"I think I saw him go thataway," Goofy pointed toward the forest just ahead.

"But… 'thataway' is just a dead end…" Sora frowned as he looked to where the trail on the ground tapered off completely.

"Well gee, he couldn't have just disappeared, could he?" Goofy wondered confused.

"We should try to find him," Sora said as he led the way forward. "Just to make sure those Heartless didn't rough him up _too _much."

Donald and Goofy agreed and they all went on ahead to see if they could find any leads on where Flynn might have gone to. However, all they really found on the far end of the far end of the path was a large, rocky wall with a sizable patch of moss growing on a handful of the lower boulders it was composed of.

"He couldn't have gone this way," Donald concluded as they all took another glance around the surrounding area. "I'm sure he's fine. Let's just get back to looking for that Key."

"...Yeah, you're probably right," Sora relented, turning to lean against the stone wall behind him. "At least he got away safe, so-whoa!" With this startled cry, Sora suddenly fell backward, largely since what he thought was solid rock behind him was anything but. Instead, he leaned right through the vines that had apparently been concealing a hidden opening to what seemed to be a shadowy cave. Or, in other words, a new way forward where there wasn't one before.

Despite this discovery, Donald and Goofy weren't initially cued in on it as they continued looking around the woods for Flynn, only to realize he wasn't the only one they needed to be looking for now. "Hey! Now Sora's gone too!" Goofy pointed out in sudden alarm.

"_Again_?!" Donald asked, baffled as he already began fervently checking the area for their young companion.

"I'm _not _gone," Sora protested as he pulled back the curtain of vines he'd fallen through. "I found a secret passage. C'mon!"

Sora didn't necessarily wait for either of his companions as he ran on ahead into the cave, though they were both quick to follow after him lest he get himself in some sort of trouble. Even so, what awaited the trio on the other side of the cave was enough to impress all three of them alike.

It was a tower, an imposing, lofty structure that hundreds of feet above the ground within the lush enclosure it was hidden within. Behind it, a large waterfall fed into a clear, flowing stream, though strangely, when it came to the tower itself, there seemed to be no apparent way in or out of it. And yet, that hadn't stopped one particular brazen thief from scaling his way to its peak in the hopes of using it as a temporary hideout.

Only to find himself tangled up in a rather peculiar situation. _Literally_.

* * *

In all his years of living on the lamb, Flynn Rider had gotten himself into plenty of tight spots before, predicaments that his quick wit and cunning charm were usually able to get him out of quite easily. But by all accounts, this was by far the _strangest _predicament he'd ever found himself in, and certainly, it was the hairiest.

Hairiest in the sense that was what seemed to be binding him to the chair he'd been tied to sometime during his recent apparent bout of unconsciousness. His head pounded, no doubt from whatever blow had blacked him out before, but that hardly mattered against the seemingly endless silky golden locks that were securing his hands, feet, and just about every other part of his body tightly in place.

The room that surrounded him was round, sizable, yet stepped in shadow to the point that it made pinpointing the source of this lengthy train of hair something of a struggle. That is, until he followed it up to the high rafters of the room, where a human-like figure appeared to be waiting, staring down at him from the darkness.

"S-struggling… struggling is pointless!" a female voice squeaked, the fear in it more than apparent.

"...Huh?" Flynn squinted, trying to catch a better glimpse at his supposed "captor". Fortunately, she was quick to clamor down from her perch, eventually making it to the ground, even if she was still largely lingering just out of sight.

"I know why you're here, a-and I am _not _afraid of you!" she continued, forcing bravery into her tone as she began to inch her way out into the open. Baffled, Flynn kept his sights set on her shadow-stepped silhouette, hoping to make some sort of sense as to what kind of trouble he'd gotten himself into now. But when he finally caught sight of his captor, he couldn't have been more surprised at who he saw.

She was a young woman, absolutely lovely in every single way, from her fair skin, to her vibrant green eyes, to her expressive, pleasant features. She was clad in a simple, yet carefully-made purple gown, a cast-iron frying pan clenched tightly in her fists. But by far, what stood out about her the most was her hair, brilliantly golden as it stretched out way past her shoulders, past her feet, past _several _feet even, all the way to the lengthy locks she'd managed to tie around his very body.

Needless to say that Flynn was absolutely speechless at the mere sight of such a strange, but beautiful girl, his eyes wide as she addressed him once more with a distrustful glare. "Who are you? And how did you find me?"

He flinched as she reeled her frying pan back a bit while taking a step closer to him. And despite his boundless confusion at this bewildering scenario, Flynn knew if there was anything that could stand to get him out of it, it would be his infamous charm. "I know not who you are, nor how I came to find you," he began with something of a soft, dramatic flair. "But may I just say… _hi_." He broke into a wide, flirtatious grin, catching the girl completely off guard as she continued to stare at him, confused. "How you doin'? The name's Flynn Rider. How's your day goin'? Huh?"

Despite her bewilderment, the girl was quick to regain her former verve as she pointed her frying pan at him threateningly. "Who else knows my location, 'Flynn Rider'?"

Flynn leaned back away from her pan as much as he could in his current position. "Alright, hang on, blondie-"

"_Rapunzel_," she clarified her own name firmly.

"...Gesundheit," Flynn rolled his eyes. "Here's the deal. I was in a situation, galavanting through the forest, when I came across your tower and…" He trailed off, his eyes going wide as he realized that his bag was no longer hanging over his shoulder. Or more importantly, the priceless prize within it was no longer within his reach. "Oh! Oh no, _oh no_!" he panicked, glancing around anxiously. "_Where _is my satchel!?"

"I've hidden it. Somewhere you'll never find it," Rapunzel grinned, satisfied with her own craftiness. "So," she continued, pacing around Flynn and keeping her pan trained on him as she interrogated him. "What do you want with my hair? To cut it? Sell it?"

"What? No!" Flynn exclaimed, incredulously. "Listen, the only thing I want to do with your hair is to _get out _of it. Literally."

"You-wait," Rapunzel stopped short at this. "You mean… you _don't _want my hair?"

"Why on earth would I want your hair?" Flynn scoffed impatiently. "Look, I was being chased, I saw a tower, I climbed it. End of story."

Despite his honesty, Rapunzel didn't seem entirely convinced, and neither did the small green reptile that suddenly clamored onto her shoulder out of nowhere. The chameleon offered him a harsh scowl, one that he didn't even know how to meet as it somehow signaled to Rapunzel to hold a private discussion to the side. While her back was turned, Flynn struggled as much as he could to pull himself out of her hair, though he did manage to catch snippets of what she was saying to her animal companion: "take me", "telling the truth", "doesn't have fangs". All strange bits and pieces that Flynn didn't even _want _to try to make sense of in favor of making his escape and finding his satchel instead.

"Ok, Flynn Rider," Rapunzel concluded after a moment or two. "I'm prepared to offer you a deal."

"A deal-?"

"Look this way." With a simple tug of her hair, she spun his chair around, resulting in it inevitably falling over and planting his face firmly against the ground. Meanwhile, Rapunzel climbed up atop the mantle of the nearby fireplace, drawing a curtain back to reveal an intricate painting that depicted countless glowing lights. "Do you know what these are?"

"You mean the lantern thing they do for the princess?" Flynn countered, disinterested from his spot on the floor.

"Lanterns…" Rapunzel repeated with newfound fascination. "I _knew _they weren't stars! W-well, tomorrow evening," she turned back to Flynn, her tone solid and authoritative as she began her negotiation. "They will light the night sky with these 'lanterns'. _You _will act as my guide, take me to these lanterns, and return me home safely. Then, and only then, will I return your satchel to you. That is my deal."

"Yeah… no can do," Flynn said, pulling himself up a bit so he could tilt his hair to the side. "Unfortunately, the good ol' Kingdom of Corona and I aren't exactly… _simpatico _at the moment, so I won't be taking you anywhere."

Initially, Rapunzel said nothing to this, instead exchanging a glance with her chameleon, who readily encouraged her to put pressure on their "captive" if he didn't want to comply. So she hopped down, pulling her hair and Flynn along with it toward her. "Something brought you here, Flynn Rider. Call it what you will: fate, destiny-"

"A horse?" Flynn remarked dryly though even so Rapunzel ignored him.

"So I have made the decision to trust you."

"A horrible decision, really."

"But trust _me _when I tell you this," Rapunzel yanked her hair, tipping Flynn's chair closer to the point that their faces were only about a foot apart. Just so he could see just how serious she was about achieving this life-long dream. "You can tear this tower apart, brick-by-brick, but without _my _help, you will _never _find your precious satchel."

Realizing he wasn't really in much of a position to haggle giving his precarious situation, Flynn momentarily conceded, knowing that what she was asking of him, while a massive inconvenience to him, wasn't necessarily impossible. "So let me get this straight," he began. "I take you to see the lanterns, bright you back home, then you'll give me back my satchel?"

"I promise," Rapunzel nodded, her tone sincere. Even so, Flynn didn't absolutely buy it; after all he'd heard plenty of "promises" in his time and had seen even more of them fall through completely. And he wasn't about to trust one so easily from a girl with 70 feet of golden hair who casually chatted with a "frog" on the regular. But even so, Rapunzel refused to yield. "And when I promise something, I never, _ever _break that promise. _Ever_."

"...Alright, listen," Flynn sighed, working with just about the last ditch plan he had at his disposal. "I didn't want to have to do this, but you leave me no choice. Here comes… the _smolder_." He offered her something of a smooth, burning, yet strangely pouting expression, one that unfortunately for him, Rapunzel didn't even flinch at the slightest over. "This is kind of an off day for me, this doesn't usually happen," he said, maintaining his "smolder" all the while.

"_Well_?" Rapunzel asked expectantly, her glare sharpening just the slightest bit.

Flynn hesitated, his smolder falling as he took the briefest of moments to think up a more concrete plan. _Oh, what to do…? _He wondered fretfully. _I _cannot _let her find that tiara. Ok, think… I need the satchel and blondie has it… There might be more monsters out there and she wants me to drag her all the way to the kingdom… Oh! I've got it! Those three guys in the funny outfits! They looked tough enough to come in handy. _

"Alright, _fine_," Flynn finally agreed, hoping that he could somehow manage to catch up with the trio once outside of the tower. "I'll take you to see the lanterns. But-" he cut Rapunzel's elated smile off as quickly as he possibly could. "On one condition: my sidekicks get to come along."

"Sidekicks…?" Rapunzel asked hesitantly. "What are their names?"

"...Uh… Their n-names aren't important!" Flynn rebuffed easily, knowing he hadn't the faintest idea. "You'll love 'em when you meet them. A real bunch of tough guys to keep you safe in that big, scary world out there, sunshine."

"I-I can handle myself out there just fine!" Rapunzel protested, though her brazen tone wavered somewhat.

"Sure, ya can," Flynn deadpanned. "Anyway, let's go and get this whole thing over with, k? I've got a cro-I-I mean, a _satchel _to get back to."

"Yes! Let's go!" Rapunzel cheered, inadvertently releasing her hold on Flynn's chair in the process. "Oops…" she frowned as he fell face-first to the floor once again.

And as he did, he let out a loud groan of pain from the impact, hoping that his famous good looks wouldn't be _too _damaged in the rest of this ridiculous endeavor. "You broke my smolder…"

* * *

As fascinating as a massive tower standing completely alone in the middle of the woods was, Sora, Donald, and Goofy didn't hesitate to set out toward it to investigate. However, as they approached its base, they happened to catch sight of a figure scaling down its stony side; and that figure just so happened to be none other than Flynn Rider himself.

"Hey, Flynn!" Sora called up to him, even though he was still quite a ways up the tower.

Startled, Flynn nearly let go of the spare arrows he was using to grapple down the side of the tower as he glanced down to the trio on the ground. "O-oh! There you fellas are! Right on time!" He looked back up to the top of the tower expectantly. "We're all ready to go down here; you comin', blondie?"

From her spot on the edge of the window, Rapunzel couldn't help but hesitate, her heart pounding and her nerves frayed as she approached to take a look at the world far below her. A world she'd spent years watching but had never once gotten the chance to be a part of. Until now.

So she put her nerves away, steeling her resolve, her mission, her dream to see those lights-_lanterns _as she let her long hair down the side of the tower. However, unlike all of the times she'd allowed her mother to scale down it before, this would be the very first time she'd ever done so herself.

So, with a single leap of faith, that's what she did. She clung tightly onto her hair as she slid down the length of it, only stopping herself seconds before she could touch the ground. Fear flooded her mind once more, especially when she thought about how she'd already crossed the threshold of everything she'd ever known by leaping out of the tower alone. But this, taking her first steps on solid, natural ground, was something else entirely.

Still, slowly but surely, she slid her bare feet onto the ground, planting them firmly into the grass as she enjoyed just how delightful it felt. "It's so… _soft_," she smiled, collapsing down into it so she could feel even more of it. Her attention was quickly diverted by a warm summer breeze, carrying countless dandelion seeds as it practically called her onward toward the cool waters of the nearby creek. Toward freedom, _real _freedom, for the first time in her entire life. And even though that freedom was a completely new, strange experience to her, it was something she couldn't help but relish with every new second of it she happily seized as her own.

For their part, Sora, Donald, and Goofy couldn't help but watch this unknown girl curiously as she ran about, immensely fascinated by things as simple as birds and butterflies as they passed her by. "Who's that?" Donald asked, confused.

"No idea, but whoever she is, she looks like she's having a _great _time," Sora chuckled warmly, wanting to go over and meet this girl properly. He only refrained, however, upon noticing that Flynn had finally made it to the bottom of the tower as he walked over to join the trio.

"Well, at least _someone _is," he deadpanned, crossing his arms as he looked over at Rapunzel. By now she was fully wading in the shallow creek, her lengthy train of hair trialing right after her into the water.

"Who's your friend there?" Goofy asked, intrigued.

"Whoa, ok, 'friend' is a strong word," Flynn clarified, visibly flustered. "I'd say Rapunzel is… more of an… inconvenient acquaintance."

"Oh yeah?" Sora said with a knowing grin. "If she's just an acquaintance, then why's your face so red? Huh?"

"...Can it, kid," Flynn scowled, glancing away in embarrassment. "Anyway…" he diverted his attention back to Rapunzel as she continued gleefully splashing around the stream. "Something tells me this _could _be her first time outdoors. Give her a few minutes to get used to it."

"Wait… her first time outside _ever_?" Sora asked, dumbfounded by the very concept. "But how-"

"Look, I've found it's better-and easier-to just not ask questions about these sort of things," Flynn shrugged, pressing on ahead as he urged the trio to follow him. "Let's just make sure she doesn't get herself eaten by a wolf or fall into a ditch within her first five minutes of being out and about. That'd put a real damper on things, don'tcha think?"

As stunned as they equally were, the trio couldn't really argue with this line of logic as they headed out of the tower's enclosure after both Rapunzel and Flynn. On the other side of the cave, Rapunzel was still absolutely engulfed in excited joy at the wide world she finally had a chance to see, though it wasn't long before that joy was permeated by the slightest hints of guilt and conflict.

"I can't believe I did this!" she exclaimed brightly, before instantly retracting her statement into an anxious whisper. "I can't believe I did this… I _can't _believe I did this!" she shouted, letting out a wild laugh as she spun around, her hair twirling right around with her. She stopped short, a sharp gasp escaping her as her thoughts wandered back into dread over what she'd just done. "Mother would be _so _furious if she knew I disobeyed her and left the tower…"

"But that's ok," Rapunzel reassured herself a moment later as she sat on a rock amidst a nearby lily-pad pond. "I-I mean, what she doesn't know won't kill her, right?"

"Oh my gosh, this would _kill _her," she bemoaned from the cave that led back to her tower, her knees curled up tight to her chest and her hair strewn all over.

"This is so FUN!" she beamed, running down a hill full speed, kicking a pile of leaves up into the air as she passed a very apathetic Flynn by.

"I am a _horrible _daughter…" she cried, her head pressed against the side of the tree she'd just climbed. "I'm going back."

"I am NEVER going back!" she proudly proclaimed, haphazardly cartwheeling down a flower-dotted hill until her hair was tightly wrapped around her entire body.

"I am a _despicable _human being…" she wept, lying face down in the very same flowers she'd just rolled through.

"Woo! Best! Day! Ever!" she cheered, using her hair to swing in wide, fast circles around a large oak tree.

And then, no more than a few minutes after she was done, she was on the ground, her face buried into her hands as she sobbed mournfully over the grave slight she'd no doubt made against her mother's trust. For the most part, Flynn and the trio had stood on the sidelines to watch Rapunzel's hectic torrent of conflicting emotions, but now that she finally seemed to settle into one of those emotions, they figured now was as good a time as any to check up on her.

"So…" Flynn began, clearing his throat as he approached her. "I can't help but notice you seem a little… at war with yourself here."

"A little _more _than a little…" Goofy spoke up.

"More like a _lot_," Donald added.

"Yeah…" Sora agreed with an empathetic frown. After all, he knew all too well what those kinds of conflicted feelings were like.

Rapunzel finally glanced up at this, letting out a sharp, startled gasp as she finally noticed the trio for the first time since emerging from her tower. In an instant she was on her feet, frying pan in hand as she took up an offensive pose against them, glaring at all three of them distrustfully all the while. "Stop right there!" she exclaimed, aptly catching the trio off guard. "Who are you?"

"I told you before; they're my sidekicks," Flynn quickly reassured her with an easy grin.

"Sidekicks?" Sora asked, raising an incredulous eyebrow at this claim.

"May I introduce… eh…" Flynn trailed off, remembering that he still didn't have a clue when it came to the trio's names. So instead, he silently urged them to fill that information in for him, which they fortunately complied with just in time.

"Oh! Uh… my name's Sora."

"Donald!"

"And I'm Goofy. Pleasure, ma'am."

"Sora, Donald, and Goofy…?" Rapunzel repeated, her frying pan still trained on the trio as she looked each of them over carefully. "Hm… You three don't… _look _dangerous… Do they, Pascal?" The chameleon who had taken his perch on her shoulder nodded in sound agreement, prompting Rapunzel to ease up with a small smile. "It's… nice to meet you too," she said to the trio. "I'm Rapunzel."

"Yep," Flynn piped up before the trio could say anything else. "My loyal sidekicks."

"Um, since when is _that_?" Sora asked, pulling him aside just out of Rapunzel's earshot.

"Ugh, look," Flynn let out an exasperated huff. "She really wants to go see this lantern show tomorrow night. Now, I'm a nice guy, so I've decided to help her. Only problem is those monsters might show up again. I can get her to the kingdom, but you guys are clearly more cut out for combat."

"That's 'cause we're heroes!" Donald proclaimed with a confident grin.

"Uh huh!" Flynn readily agreed.

"_And _we're Heartless experts!" Goofy added just as brightly.

"Uh huh! Uh huh! So…" Flynn's already easy grin picked up a convincing air. "That means you three are along for the ride, right?"

"Well… we _are _supposed to be trying to find this special Key around here…" Sora noted, clearly able to sense that a Key was in this world, even if he didn't exactly know how to find it yet. "But as long as our new strategy is to just wing it… I don't see why we can't help out. So sure, just leave it to us!"

"Will do," Flynn nodded as he began to lead the way forward, beckoning Rapunzel to come along after them. "Now c'mon, let's get a move on! The sooner we get to the kingdom, the better. And the sooner I get my satchel back…" he muttered his last statement to himself.

"What was that?" Goofy asked, having barely overheard him.

"N-nothing!"

"Yeah, come on!" Rapunzel agreed with Flynn, abruptly grabbing his arm to pull him along after her as she ran ahead. "We don't want to miss those lanterns!"

"Calm down," Flynn huffed, annoyed. "We have till tomorrow night to get to Corona and it's not even-"

"I know, it's so _soon_!" Rapunzel exclaimed excitedly. "And everything out here is so _huge_! Who knows how long it'll take us to get there?"

"I do," Flynn deadpanned. "A day and a half, that's it. It's not far."

Even so, Rapunzel was hardly listening to him as captivated by the outside world as she was, distracted and delighted by every new sound and sight she came across. Her immense yet endearing curiosity didn't go unnoticed by the trio as they kept pace just a bit behind her and Flynn, with plenty of curious wonderings about the situation they'd just gotten themselves into of their own in mind.

"Rapunzel is… interesting," Donald mused somewhat quizzically.

"Yeah, it's like her heart is pulling her all kindsa ways!" Goofy said with a small laugh.

"The outside world must seem so big and scary to her…" Sora said, stopping short as his companions did the same. "I felt the same way when I left the islands for the first time. Lucky for me, you two came along at just the right time, and the rest has been unforgettable."

"Aww…" Donald grinned, both him and Goofy genuinely touched by their young companion's warm, nostalgic sentiments.

Sora wavered, however, somewhat flustered as he realized just how schumatzy those sentiments really were. True, he greatly appreciated both of his companions and all of the support and friendship they'd offered him ever since they met, especially in light of more recent events. But that didn't necessarily mean he wanted either of them to slip back into thinking that he needed to rely _too _much on that support. "Y-yeah, unforgettable…" Sora repeated, turning back to the pair with a playful smile as he came up with a way to ease them away from such thinking with a bit of humor instead. "Just like your face!" he quickly joked, pointing to Donald in particular.

"Oh yeah?!" the magician shouted angrily, shaking a threatening fist at Sora as he ran off, laughing.

"C'mon, now," Goofy calmed him down with an amused chuckle of his own. Donald sighed in inevitable defeat, joining the captain in hurrying after Sora so they could all catch up with Rapunzel and Flynn.

Even so, for his own part, Sora couldn't help but smile to himself as he pressed on ahead. Because even if he wasn't the best at outright admitting it, he wouldn't trade all either of his companions for any others, for anything in any world really. Yet even despite that comforting thought, a small hint of doubt still came with it as he wondered what might happen if they actually knew the truth he'd been hiding from them. They'd always stuck by his side through thick and thin before, even when he'd made it difficult for them to do so, but how would they react if they found out what was happening to his heart? What would they say if they knew what he risked becoming if he couldn't find a way to stop it in time? Would they still remain by his side, as loyal as ever? Or would they leave him behind out of fear and anger to suffer a dark and daunting fate all alone?

_No, of course they wouldn't_… he thought, shaking his head clear of such fretful notions. After all, Donald and Goofy had already made it quite clear several times over that they intended on staying with him, no matter what happened. They were more than just his companions, more than just his teammates; they were his _friends_, and no danger or darkness, either external or internal would ever change that. "All for one…" he reassured himself with the promise of their bond, hoping that it would be enough to chase his pressing dread away somehow. "And one for all.."

* * *

With Rapunzel gone, the interior of the tower had become silent and dark, two things it had scarcely ever been for the past 18 years. That silence made Gothel's arrival all the more stark and noisy as she pushed aside the tile that had long since obscured the tower's only real entrance from sight. She clambered up into the round room, her thoughts already frantic especially when she didn't spot her flower upon a first glance. She called for her, just as she had as soon as she'd first arrived at the tower, but once again, it was to no avail, even as she rushed between the bedroom, her own room, and whatever sparse space remained in the relatively tiny tower. But everywhere she looked, no matter how hard she looked, Rapunzel was nowhere to be found.

Needless to say, Gothel was panicking; for 18 years, Rapunzel had done exactly as she'd said and obediently stayed put, mostly because she'd convinced and coaxed her into doing so quite well. But clearly, the wretched girl was far more clever than she ever gave her credit for by asking her to leave for a few days to retrieve a special gift for her birthday. A sly ruse to get her to leave, no doubt, just long enough for her to slip out so she could see those ridiculous "lights" or stars or _whatever _they were for herself. And if that was in fact the case, then Gothel knew she would only have a limited matter of time to track her down before-

Her rampant thoughts came to a grinding halt as a sharp speck of bright light caught her attention from the far side of the tower. That light was pouring out from underneath the staircase, specifically under a rather loose step both her and Rapunzel had known about for years. But as soon as Gothel pried that step up, she was met with a leather satchel she'd never seen before, perhaps a clue as to where her flower could have gone.

What she _hadn't _been expecting to find in the satchel was a golden tiara, beautifully crafted with countless gems and jewels woven into it. A tiara Gothel could have sworn she'd seen before, the very night she-

She gasped, tossing the crown away from her as though simply touching its metal had scorched her skin. Certainly, Rapunzel couldn't have known, there was _no _way she could have known, but…

Gothel was quick to check the satchel once more, finding only one more thing within it: a wanted poster, for a thief that the higher authorities of Corona were demanding either dead or alive by the name of Flynn Rider. A thief who had no doubt made off with her precious flower, hoping to steal her priceless gift as his own.

But even so, Gothel kept her nerve. After all, this was something she'd been preparing _years _for, just in case a random rogue marauder was ever bold enough to find the tower, much less scale it to see what, or _who_ was inside. And as she pulled out the spare, deadly dagger she'd been hiding away for just such an occasion, she was more than prepared to do whatever she had to to take back what was rightfully hers.

And yet, as consumed by rising fury as she was, she didn't even notice the darkened portal that had just formed in the shadows of the tower. That is, until the figure that had quietly stepped out of it spoke up to catch her attention. "Missing someone?"

"Who's there?!" Gothel demanded, tightly gripping her dagger as she spun around to face the intruder: a tall man in a dark cloak with long pink hair.

"A friend," the man assured in his smooth, calm voice. "Or at least… I'd like to be."

"...Really?" Gothel scowled, still wielding her knife. "I've heard _that _one before. So I'll ask only one more time: who _are _you and what are you doing here?"

"Who I am is unimportant," the man said simply, mysteriously. "But you might find some interest in my reason for coming here. For much how you've found yourself in search of your dear "flower", I am also looking for someone of a certain value, at least to my master."

"Hm…" Gothel narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously. "And who might this "someone" be?"

"A boy," the man replied. "One who I believe is traveling with your Rapunzel."

Gothel jolted at this, finally lowering her dagger as she glared down at the wanted poster in her other hand. "The thief?" she asked, incredulously.

"No," the man shook his head. "But once we find them, you're welcome to do whatever you want with him."

"...We?"

The man's relaxed smile widened somewhat at this, still carrying an unreadable air of mystery all the while. "You've lost such a precious gift," he said as he began to step forward. "Allow me to assist you in getting her back."

"And what's in it for you?" Gothel asked, dubiously. "That boy you're after?"

"Precisely."

"...How do I know I can trust you?" she asked, knowing she ultimately wouldn't no matter what excuse he gave.

"Because you don't really have much of a choice," the man said. "From what I understand, you have no time to lose when it comes to finding your flower. And I just so happen to know where her and her new friends are heading. So… do we have a deal?"

Gothel hesitated, aptly wary against taking this peculiar stranger up on his offer. And yet, the thought of the inevitable, of what she knew would happen if she didn't get Rapunzel back, ran through her mind like a dreadful flash. She could practically picture her hands shriveling up, her ebony hair going gray, age overtaking her like the vicious, hideous shroud it was. And after 18 years of keeping that shroud at bay, that was something she was not about to let happen to her, not again.

"Yes," she nodded darkly, determined to get her flower back, no matter what the cost. "We have a deal."

* * *

"So… you've really never been outside before today?" Sora asked Rapunzel, hoping to get a bit more context as the group continued their way through the woods. "_Ever_?"

"Nope, this is my very first time out of the tower," Rapunzel said with something of a wistful smile. "To be honest, now that I'm out here, I… kind of can't believe it took me so long to try this… But I think it's going well so far."

"So you're not scared anymore?" Goofy asked with a small, encouraging grin.

"Eh… I… You know what? No, I'm not," Rapunzel said, taking in a deep, confident breath as she gripped her frying pan with both hands. "After all, there's nothing out here that I can't handle."

No sooner than just a second after Rapunzel said this, a nearby shrub suddenly started to shake, startling her to the point that she took cover behind Flynn with a frightened shriek. "I-is it ruffians?!" she cried, clinging onto him for dear life as he reeled back in surprise. "Thugs? Have they come for me?!"

The "ruffians and thugs" ultimately ended up being a trio of tiny bunnies that hopped out of the bush, hardly even phased by Rapunzel's apparent panic or the frying pan she had pointed straight at them. "Stay calm," Flynn deadpanned as he glanced back at her. "They can probably smell fear."

"O-oh!" Rapunzel let out an embarrassed chuckle as she eased up. "It's just a bunch of adorable bunnies. They're even cuter up close!" She gasped, surprised as the bunnies began to hop by her, heading into the nearby meadow at a light, breezy pace. "Oo! Let's follow them and see where they go!"

"What?" Flynn started, though by then Rapunzel was already hurrying after the rabbits, her hair bundled up in her arms to make doing so easier. "Wait, hold up! Don't you wanna make it to the kingdom? We don't have time to chase a bunch of-"

"Aw, c'mon, Flynn," Sora said with a small laugh as he readily followed Rapunzel's lead. "This _is _her first time outside, remember? You gotta let her have at least a _little _fun out here."

Flynn ultimately sighed in defeat at this, knowing that he didn't have much of a chance at winning this argument. "Let me guess," he began, addressing Donald and Goofy as they passed by. "He's a total free spirit too, huh?"

"Yes, siree!"

"And then some…"

"Greaaaat…" Flynn rolled his eyes. "Just what I need, not one, but _two_ gung-ho, happy-go-lucky go-getters to contend with… As if today couldn't get any _peachier_"

Rapunzel wasn't able to trail the bunnies for too long before she lost track of them, though what she did stumble upon in their place caught her excitement every bit as much. "Dandelions!" she grinned, running into a small patch of the flowers and kicking several of their fluffy seeds up into the air in the process. "Oh, watch this!" she said to Sora as she picked a large handful of dandelions. After taking in a deep breath, she blew the seeds clean off of all of them, watching with delight as those seeds scattered, carried off into the air by the warm summer breeze. "They're so pretty! If only there was a way to make more fly at once…"

"Hm…" Sora took pause at this, glancing over the dandelion patch. "I think I have an idea!" With this, he summoned his Keyblade and cast a wide-reaching wind spell, one that struck up enough of a gale to send thousands of dandelion seeds high into the air, much to Rapunzel's amazement.

"Wow…" she whispered, fascinated by the seeds as they twirled in the air all around her. "They're just like the floating lights! How'd you do that?" she asked Sora curiously.

"Oh, it was just a little magic," he said, perching his Keyblade over his shoulder.

"Wait… you can use magic too?" Rapunzel gaped, fascinated.

"Too?" Sora asked, raising a confused eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, uh… um…" Rapunzel faltered, gripping her hair rather protectively as she realized she'd said something she shouldn't have. "Hey! What's that over there?" she quickly diverted attention off herself as she ran over to a nearby pond.

"Are we done yet?" Flynn asked as he arrived, Donald and Goofy not so far behind him.

"Doesn't look like it," Sora chuckled as he approached the edge of the pond Rapunzel had already started wading into. She hardly cared that the lower half of her dress was soaking wet as she stood almost waist-deep in the water, her hair trailing after her as it dragged across the smooth, rocky bed of the pond.

"It's _so _refreshing!" she grinned, waving to the others on the bank before her. "You all have to come in!"

"Yeah, I don't think so, Blondie," Flynn crossed his arms, only to receive a generous dowsing courtesy of Rapunzel. "Aw, what?!"

"See? It feels nice!" she giggled, sending another wide splash his way, one that happened to catch Sora as well.

As opposed to Flynn's rather grumpy reaction, Sora let out a bright laugh as he ran ahead into the pond to join Rapunzel. "Yeah, it sure does!" he quipped, rushing in with a splash of his own, one that Rapunzel only made a meager attempt at shielding herself from as she joined in on his playful laughter. And from there, the splash fight was on. Rapunzel quickly bundled her hair up into one of her arms, using her free hand to readily retaliate against each wave of water Sora managed to strike her with. It was an uproarious, yet entertaining battle to say the least, though largely only for the pair engaged in it more than anyone else.

"Sora! Quit messing around!" Donald huffed impatiently from his spot on the shore, ever mindful of the Key they still needed to find.

"Aw, let him play, Donald," Goofy coaxed with a warm chuckle. "After all, we both know it's been awhile since Sora's had this much fun. I'd say he's more than earned it."

Donald couldn't really argue with this, especially as both him and Goofy watched their young-still very recently traumatized-companion have the time of his life in such a simple pastime with a new friend. True, they had both seen Sora smile and joke around a handful of times following his brutal captivity and difficult recovery, but this was the first time they'd seen him openly laugh and enjoy himself in such a carefree, innocent way. It was a welcome, refreshing sight for both the captain and the magician, who had been spending so much of their recent time engulfed in immense worry-spoken and unspoken-for their young companion's wellbeing both inside and out.

Which was why neither of them minded letting him have just a _little _more time to have the sort of fun he truly deserved.

By now, Rapunzel had resorted to a new tactic to get the upper hand in this water battle as she utilized the tail end of her long train of hair, even as soaking wet as it was. Sora was completely caught off guard as she lashed it out toward him, catching him around his ankle before she lightly tugged on the rest of her hair, pulling him off his feet and submerging him into the pond in the process. Even so, Sora was laughing hard as he surfaced, echoing Rapunzel's own plentiful amusement.

"Sorry, Sora," Rapunzel grinned, extending a hand out to help him up. "But I think I just won."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that…" Sora countered, getting up on his own and summoning his Keyblade as he did. Rapunzel gasped as she watched him cast a quick, but powerful water spell, one that managed to not only engulf them both, as well as everyone standing on the shore, in its cool, refreshing tide.

"Oh, _seriously_?!" Flynn huffed, dripping wet. "It's like I'm out here babysitting two over-active 5 year olds!"

"Well actually, Sora just turned 16," Goofy pointed out.

"But yeah, you're not _too _far off…" Donald deadpanned as he wrung the water out of his hat.

Even though both her and Sora were essentially waterlogged by this point, Rapunzel couldn't help but let out an amazed gasp as she happened to notice how the light was reflecting off of the water the spell had left behind, creating a beautiful band of colors. "A rainbow!" she gasped, delighted, even as the momentary rainbow faded away. "I've always wanted to see one for myself!"

"Hey! Whimsy and Merriment!" Flynn called down to the pair in the pond. "Not that practically drowning us all isn't _super _fun, but can we get a move on here? We've kind of got somewhere to be, in case you both forgot."

"Oh, right!" Rapunzel wasted no time in hurrying back onto the pond bank, her long hair bundled up in her arms to ease the weight the water had added onto it. "Sorry about that. I guess we got just a little…"

"Distracted?" Sora filled in with a good natured grin.

"I'll say," Flynn rolled his eyes as he turned to lead the way onward. "Now, can we _finally _get going?"

Despite his expectations, Flynn received no immediate answer, and the reason for that became clear as he turned to see Rapunzel running off into the forest once more, Sora eagerly trailing not too far behind her. "Ok, _really_?" he asked, disgruntled as he began trudging along to follow them, Donald and Goofy doing the same, both of whom couldn't help but take some level of amusement from the pair's innocent antics and Flynn's frustration with them "What, are we gonna have to get a pair of leashes for those two?"

At the same time, Rapunzel continued on into a densely wooded enclosure, eager to catch up with the creatures she'd just spotted flying overhead. "This way!" she called back to Sora. "I think I saw some birds over here!"

"Birds?" Sora couldn't help but chuckle at this. "Rapunzel, birds are all over the pl-"

"Shh! There they are!" she quieted him as she carefully approached a quintet of bluebirds resting on a low-bearing tree branch. However, a random noisy step was all it took to catch the birds' attention, sending them scattering to the far end of the meadow. "Wait! Come back!" she urged, letting out a disappointed sigh. "Aw, I must have startled them…"

"...Do you really want to see those birds up close?" Sora asked with a small smile.

"Yeah, I'd like to," Rapunzel nodded.

"Then let me try something," Sora said, already making his way over to the birds' new perch. He kept his pace slow and quiet, cueing into the light and airy song the birds were cheerfully chirping. And, as he approached the birds about as close as he could without scaring them off, he carefully began whistling along to their tune. At first, the birds didn't really show much of a reaction, though the longer Sora maintained his harmony with them, the more trusting they started to become, to the point that they eventually flitted off their tree to surround him. As surprising as this was, he didn't stop whistling as they began to fly above his head in a tight circle, following along after him as he slowly began to head back toward Rapunzel.

"Oh my gosh!" Rapunzel gasped, awestruck upon seeing what he'd managed to do. "Sora-"

Sora quickly cut her off, still whistling as he cautious finger to his lips while hoping the sudden movement wouldn't spook the birds. Fortunately it didn't, and Rapunzel eagerly nodded, watching with excitement as Sora gently coaxed one of the birds to settle on his hand. As soon as he reached Rapunzel, he extended that bird out to her, much to her immense elation.

"Oh, hello! I've never seen a bird like you before," she whispered as the bird hopped over onto her hand. The other birds followed suit as they curiously crowded around her, allowing Sora to take a much-needed break from whistling now that Rapunzel had the birds covered. "Listen! They're singing for us!" she smiled, all five birds now settling on her hands and head as their ongoing song rose to a lovely crescendo. From there, it wasn't long before they took off, continuing their flight through the forest as Rapunzel bid them a fond farewell.

"That was great," she smiled, thoroughly satisfied by just how fun her first trip outside the tower was turning out to be. "Thank you, Sora."

"No prob," Sora nodded, returning her easy grin.

"Excuse me?" Flynn suddenly got the pair's attention as him, Donald, and Goofy stood at the entrance to the meadow. "Are we on the verge of wrapping this whole bird whispering session up? Might I remind you we're still not _any _closer to the kingdom than we were when we started?"

"Ah! Right, sorry again, Flynn!" Rapunzel let out a flustered laugh. "It's just that _everything _out here is so… _wow_, you know?"

"No," Flynn answered flatly, unimpressed. "Now c'mon, Corona's this way."

This time, Flynn made sure _everyone _was following along as he began leading the way toward the kingdom once again. This time, the group actually did make a bit of progress on the wooded path that led toward Corona's capital city, that is, until they happened to run into something rather strange along the way.

A large, practically massive cotton-like ball of fluff lay amidst the center of a flower-dotted clearing, catching everyone off guard but fascinating Rapunzel in particular in light of all of her other recent discoveries. "Oh, what's that?" she asked, eternally curious. "It's so fluffy!"

"Uh… I don't know," Sora frowned, confused. "Any ideas, you guys?"

Donald and Goofy shook their heads and likewise Flynn was equally clueless, though he couldn't help but be somewhat concerned as Rapunzel ran toward the immense fluffball. "Uh… blondie? Maybe you shouldn't-"

Rapunzel's hand had barely even skimmed the surface of the ball before several dandelion-like plumes burst out of it, only these "seeds" were much larger than any mere flower. In an instant, the "seeds" burst to life in the form of countless shadowy monsters, the largest and most intimidating of which happened to be their source, the main fluffball itself.

"Heartless!" Sora exclaimed in alarm as Rapunzel stumbled back fearfully. Without hesitation, he rushed forward alongside Donald and Goofy, Keyblade in hand to face off against the sudden horde in question. "Rapunzel, take cover!"

For her part, Rapunzel didn't argue, rushing to hide behind Flynn in particular as she clung onto him for protection, something he couldn't help but find a timely opportunity in. "Alright, I hate to say it, but… I'm letting you out of our deal," he said with a faux sigh of disappointment.

"What?" Rapunzel asked, relinquishing her hold on him.

"Obviously, it's way too scary out here," Flynn nodded over to the trio as they began fighting against the crowd of Heartless. "Let's turn around and get you home," he threw on a sly grin as he began to push her back in the direction they'd come from. "I get back my satchel, you get back your safety and peace of mind, and _viola_! We part as unlikely friends."

"No!" Rapunzel protested, shoving him away. "I am seeing those lanterns!"

"Oh come on!" Flynn huffed, immensely annoyed. "What's it gonna take for me to get my satchel back!?"

At this, Rapunzel turned her frying pan on him, offering him a firm, unyielding glare. "I _will _use this." She took pause at this, a small gasp of realization escaping her as she looked between her pan and the attacking Heartless before her. "Oh… I really _will _use this!" she grinned, gripping her pan tighter as she rushed forward toward the fray.

"Wait… what are you doing?" Flynn asked, caught off guard by her sudden boldness.

Sora reacted much of the same way as he spotted Rapunzel taking up a stance of opposition against the monsters they were facing. "Rapunzel?" he asked, tempted to hurry to her defense after he took down another Heartless.

"It's ok," she assured with a determined, brazen smile. "I'm not afraid to face them."

Despite this clear show of confidence, Sora briefly hesitated, knowing that Rapunzel likely didn't have any combat experience to speak of if she'd never left that tower at all before a few short hours ago. And yet, he couldn't help but appreciate her willingness to try, realizing just how much her verve to face her fears reminded him of his own, especially when it came to his recent endeavors to overcome that fear so he could fight instead. "O-ok, but… be careful," he cautioned her, silently hoping that Donald and Goofy would help him keep an eye on her in the fray.

"I will," Rapunzel nodded as she lashed out with her frying pan in an initial attack. The pan struck the nearest Heartless hard, stunning it long enough for Goofy to rush in and bash it away completely with his shield. Even so, Rapunzel hardly stopped there, making use of her lengthy hair as a weapon just as much as she was her frying pan. From the sidelines of the fight, Flynn watched with relative amazement as she utilized her hair as a lasso, binding a handful of the smaller Heartless together and restraining them long enough for Donald to clear them out with a timely ice spell.

Even so, Flynn wasn't left as a mere spectator for too long, especially as a few stray Heartless began to creep his way. He only had time to let out a startled gasp, however, before Rapunzel noticed the plight he was about to be in. "Flynn!" she called amidst the chaos. "Catch!" With this, she tossed her frying pan his way, using her hair to continue defending herself in its place. Flynn grabbed the pan by its handle just in time and swung it wide and fast at the winged creatures launching themselves at him, knocking all of them aside in defeat in one fell swoop.

"Oh man, I have _got _to get me one of these!" he grinned at the surprising "weapon" as he hurried to join the ongoing brawl and help others.

With all five of them taking on the Heartless together now, it became quite easier to wear down the monsters' numbers, even as more materialized to take the place of those that had fallen. The biggest obstacle among them was the largest, fluffiest creature, which, despite its rather flowery appearance, was surprisingly aggressive in its attacks. After most of the other monsters had been taken care of, they all focused their attention on that Heartless in particular, with Rapunzel reigning it in with her hair to pull it down to ground level. That gave Flynn and the trio the perfect opportunity to rush in with their respective weapons to tackle the struggling, angry creature. And through their combined efforts, it didn't take them very long to subdue the Heartless and defeat it, finally bringing a sense of peaceful calm back to the forest without any additional Heartless to beset it.

"Woo…" Rapunzel let out a relieved sigh as the final Heartless vanished. "That was… intense. B-but we did it! We beat those monsters!"

"Yeah, I gotta hand it to ya, blondie," Flynn remarked with a grin as he handed the frying pan back over to her. "You handled yourself pretty well out there."

"Thanks," Rapunzel said with something of a bashful blush. "I told you I could."

"Mm hm…" Flynn nodded with a bit of a playfully exasperated grin. "It'd probably be best if we avoided any more riffraff like that though…"

"You mean the Heartless?" Goofy asked, a bit confused.

"'Riffraff' is a good way to describe them," Donald grumbled, annoyed by the creatures' consistent appearances.

"Uh, s-speaking of riffraff…" Rapunzel spoke up as she happened to look a bit further down the trail. "Who's that?"

The others all peered down the path, only to see a pair of large, burly, intimidating men making their way through the woods. A pair that Flynn immediately recognized as his former partners in crime: the Stabbington Brothers. Former, in the sense that he'd been the one to abandon them with the prize they'd stolen together, not only to escape the guards but that first round of marauding Heartless alike. "Oh no…" Flynn gasped, inadvertently catching the brothers' attention in the process.

"There he is!" one of them shouted, immediately furious at the sight of Flynn in particular. "Rider!"

"Get him!" the other brother yelled, drawing the dagger strapped to his hip.

"Whoa, who are they?" Sora asked, still keeping a hold on his Keyblade.

"T-they don't like me," Flynn replied, only for another clamor from the embankment just above the group to catch his attention next.

"Capitain!" one of the several armored guards called to their leader. "I found him! I found Rider!"

"Well, don't just stand there!" the captain yelled, drawing his sword as he pointed it down at the group. "Get him! Don't let him get away this time! I want him arrested and hauled away to the dungeons _now_!"

"W-who's that?" Goofy asked in apt alarm.

"They don't like me either," Flynn shrugged, only to receive another form of opposition in the sturdy white horse, a very _angry _white horse at that, who happened to rush in right behind the soldiers.

"Who's _that_?" Rapunzel asked, gripping her hair anxiously at the threefold threat they were now facing.

"Let's just assume that everyone here _doesn't _like me, ok?" Flynn said quickly, spotting the only way out of this situation dead ahead of them. "Also RUN!"

None of the others hesitated, following Flynn's hectic lead as Stabbingtons and the soldiers alike all began giving chase through the woods. Since they were by far out-numbered by both sides combined, the only real choice they had was to flee, especially as a handful of Heartless began popping up along the path to make matters even worse. Rapunzel, however, was the first to spot a way out of danger as she noticed the opening to a small cave up ahead. Or, to be more precise, a _tunnel_, one that just so happened to have a hefty pile of rocks sitting on the knoll just above it, only barely being held back by a worn wooden fence.

"Everyone! This way!" she called, already pulling her hair together to use as a lasso as they neared the entryway. The Stabbingtons, the soldiers, and the Heartless alike were still in hot pursuit, but none of the others were that phased by them, save for Flynn as he anxiously glanced over his shoulder to see just how frighteningly _close _they were to catching up to them.

"I hope you've got one heck of a plan in mind, blondie, because we really could use one right about now!" he called up to Rapunzel.

"I do!" she shouted back brazenly, stopping short just shy of the cave's entrance. "Quick! Get into the cave!"

No one argued with her on this, especially as she tossed her hair up to latch onto the fence above her. By now, their pursuers were absolutely gaining, but Rapunzel turned the tables on them just in the nick of time. For as the others all hurried into the cave, she pulled against her hair hard, breaking the feeble wood that was upholding the fence in the process. The second it snapped, she yanked her hair back toward her and fled into the cave after the others, not bothering to stick around as the rocks began to collapse, covering the cave's mouth up just in time to keep anyone from following them. And yet, as distracted with fending off the strange monsters they were suddenly faced with, the soldiers were hard-pressed to keep the Stabbington Brothers, even as wanted as they both were, from escaping in the hopes of gaining the revenge and the riches they were seeking from their former "partner".

In the aftermath of such a daunting chase, the group inside the cave took a much-needed moment of rest to recoup. Fortunately, Flynn managed to find a lantern not too far in to guide them, allowing them some semblance of light as they began to traverse the narrow, dark passage ahead of them. "That was amazing, Rapunzel!" Sora exclaimed with an enthusiastic grin.

"Yeah! Really quick thinking," Donald readily agreed.

"Nobody out there saw it coming, that's for sure," Goofy chuckled, amused.

"Yeah, you keep on surprising me, sunshine," Flynn added easily. "I didn't know you had that in you back there. That was pretty impressive."

"I know!" Rapunzel exclaimed brightly, her voice echoing through the quiet cavern. Even so, she quickly retracted in an attempt to play it cool as she came down from the adrenaline of the moment a bit. "I… I know."

Flynn offered her a genuinely amused grin at this as he continued leading the way, though that didn't necessarily mean he was free from scrutiny from the rather curious trio. "So, Flynn," Sora began, sending him a skeptical look. "You mind telling us why you're _wanted_?"

"Yeah, as a matter of fact, I do," Flynn rebuffed dryly. "Do _you _mind not sticking your nose into other people's business, kid?"

"Oh, come on, Flynn," Rapunzel huffed, somewhat disgruntled. "You never talk about yourself. If you don't want to talk about why you're wanted, then why don't we start with something easier like… where you're from, for instance?"

"Whoa! Sorry, bondie," Flynn staunchly shook his head. "I don't do back-story. However, I am becoming very interested in yours. I know I'm not supposed to mention the hair-"

"Nope," Rapunzel rejected with a wry smile.

"Or the mother-"

"Uh uh."

"I'm too scared to ask about the frog-"

"_Chameleon_," Rapunzel corrected, pointing to Pascal on her shoulder.

"Nuance," Flynn shrugged. "Here's my question though: if you want to see the lanterns so badly, why haven't you gone before?"

"Uh… well…" Rapunzel chuckled, hoping to play such a complicated question off. Fortunately, she found the perfect opportunity to as she spotted the first sign of sunlight up ahead. "Oh look! We made it out!"

With this, she ran ahead, not really offering any concrete answer to Flynn's question as she broke out of the cave and out into a rocky canyon surrounding a complex dam system holding back the large river behind it. The others soon joined her, all of them quickly realizing there wasn't much of a concrete way down from the rather high perch they were all on now.

"Looks like a dead end," Donald noted, peering over the edge of the cliff they were standing on.

"But we can't go back the way we came…" Goofy said with a frown.

"So… where do we go from here…?" Sora wondered, only to receive an unexpected answer from an initially unknown source.

"What an excellent question. One that I believe I have an answer for. Or at least, an answer for _you_, Sora."

"Huh?" Sora was the first to turn around, the others all following suit as a dark corridor appeared at the exit of the cave they'd just emerged from. The figure that stepped out of it was clearly a member of the Organization based on his black coat alone, though his identity was completely unfamiliar to Sora, Donald, and Goofy alike.

"Uh… who's the creepy guy in the coat?" Flynn asked, immediately intimidated as he discreetly took cover behind the trio. "A friend of yours?"

"Hardly," Sora scoffed, offering the Organization member a distrustful glare. "And here I was, thinking that you guys finally decided to leave us alone for a change. But I guess it was too much to hope for from you has-beens."

"'Has-beens'?" the Organization member repeated, maintaining his calm composure. "How callous of you. But not surprising coming from you, Sora. You've barely changed at all since the last time we met."

"Last time?" Sora took pause at this, confused as he exchanged a glance with Donald and Goofy. "You know this guy?" he asked them, only for both of them to shake their heads, clearly as clueless as he was.

"It's a shame you have no memory of me," the Organization member mused smoothly. "Because I remember you exceedingly well. Although… it's _those _memories I'd soon erase."

"Ok, seriously," Sora let out an exasperated huff. "I have _no _idea who you are or what you're saying!"

"Yeah, same here," Flynn piped up, completely lost.

"Mm hm," Rapunzel nodded in equally confused agreement.

"Forgive me for not being so direct then," the Organization said with a faux nod of respect. "My name is Marluxia. And if you'll permit me, I'd like to extend an open invitation."

"Invitation?" Sora asked, caught off guard.

"But aren't you here to look for a Key?" Donald asked, aptly suspicious.

"Of course, I am," Marluxia replied with something of a mysterious smile. "But I would almost consider the Key to be secondary to my primary purpose for coming here. What I'm _really _here to do is just as I said before: deliver an invitation, a message, directly from my master to you, Sora."

Sora tensed up at this almost instantly, his former confidence completely shaken for a number of reasons. "F-from… from Xehanort?" he asked, his voice much quieter and more unnerved than he'd hoped it would sound. "...W-what is it?"

Marluxia's steady grin widened into something much more sinister at this. "The master is inviting you to finally step out of the harshness of the light and under the cover of darkness instead. He would like you to know that he is accepting your immediate enlistment into the ranks of Organization XIII as its final vessel."

Sora essentially froze up completely upon hearing this "invitation", dread racing through just about every part of him as he realized exactly what it meant. True, other Organization members had made plenty of remarks to him thus far about Xehanort's plans for him, but this was by far the most direct message from the master himself yet. A message that made it absolutely clear that he had every intention of recruiting Sora, of poisoning his heart with darkness so unbearable and immense it would no doubt suffocate him sooner or later. Or, as he quickly was starting to realize in light of the signs of his changing appearance that he was still trying to desperately hide, perhaps much sooner than he once thought.

"The offer has you speechless, I see," Marluxia noted, hardly caring about Donald and Goofy's visibly rising anger in favor of focusing on Sora's stunned, fearful expression instead. "You have no reason to be. All the Organization seeks is balance. You must understand, our ultimate objective is not to clash with the light. We seek to compliment it. And what better way to compliment it, than to take one of its own into our fold. Even if we have to… _darken _that light a bit to make that happen."

By now, panic was starting to overtake Sora every bit as much as dread already had. That panic made itself apparent as his breathing shallowed, his hands shaking as he clenched and unclenched them continually at his sides. And all the while his mind was racing with a million different thoughts and fears at once as it tried to search for something, _anything _for him to say in opposition to such a terrifying, horrifically _plausible _threat. Yet ultimately, he came up with nothing, because what could really be said to deny something that he'd already begun to accept might be true?

"Sora?" Rapunzel spoke up, concerned as she noticed just how shaken he seemed to be, even though she had no real context for why. "A-are you alright?"

He didn't answer, mostly because he couldn't as stricken by fear as he currently was. Fortunately though, he didn't really need to as Donald and Goofy stepped up to fend off Marluxia's claims in his place.

"You can go right back to Xehanort and tell him Sora _isn't _interested!" Donald exclaimed fiercely as he called upon his staff.

"That's right," Goofy readily agreed, taking up his shield as both him and the magician positioned themselves in front of Sora protectively. "We've already told several of your buddies now: you'll _never _force Sora to join the Organization!"

Sora finally managed to snap out of his anxious revere at this, though he was still largely at a loss for words as he looked between his companions, wanting to agree with them, wanting to believe what they were saying. And yet… he ultimately found he couldn't this time, not as he thought about the shadows on his hands, the white locks in his hair, the gold in his eyes. About everything _he _had known for so long now while neither Donald nor Goofy had a clue about what he'd been hiding in plain sight all this time.

Marluxia's easy smile finally vanished at this opposition, his expression turning cold and haughty. "That's not _your _call," he said with a condescending sneer. "It's _Sora's_. So…What do _you _say?" he looked to Sora expectantly at this, ignoring both of his companions as they still stood to defend him.

For his part, however, Sora largely still had no idea what to say. Of course, he immediately knew what he _wanted _to say, but summoning the courage to actually do so was another matter entirely. Yet he ultimately found he had to when Donald and Goofy suddenly glanced back at him quizzically, both of them wondering why he was hesitating, why he wasn't disproving these twisted claims, why he was wavering under their weight. Which was why he forced himself to stand as strong as he possibly could against them, even when he felt like he didn't really have much of that strength in earnest at all. "T-they're right," he began, unsteady at first, though as he summoned his Keyblade his resolve began to grow. "I think I've already made it _very _clear where I stand with you guys. I am _never _going to be a part of the Organization. So tell Xehanort my answer is _no_."

Donald and Goofy both backed him up with a proud, supportive round of cheers at this, though Marluxia merely met all three of them with a sullen scowl of disapproval. "You say that as though you almost actually believe it," he remarked, sending Sora a piercing glare. "But you and I both know you _don't_."

Sora nearly faltered at this once more, though fortunately, right before he could, Flynn just so happened to interject. "Hey, not that being out of the loop in this entire conversation isn't great and all, but can we maybe speed this along?" he asked with an impatient huff. "No offense to you, 'Mr. Tall, Dark, and Cryptic, but _some _of us have somewhere to be."

"Y-yeah, that's right," Rapunzel agreed, pointing her frying pan straight at Marluxia. "So you just go and leave Sora, Donald, and Goofy alone, you… you ruffian!"

"Very well then, I'll go," Marluxia strangely conceded as he summoned a dark corridor. "Though not before leaving you with something to keep you all entertained in the meantime." Just shy of seemingly taking his leave, with a wave of his hand, a whole horde of Nobodies of just about all sizes materialized to surround him, not hesitating to launch their attack on the unprepared group before them. Donald and Goofy were the first to charge after them to fend them off, and Flynn and Rapunzel were quick to follow their lead, joining in the fight just as they had against the Heartless before. Sora was more than ready to do the same, shaking off the last of his lingering anxiety as he raised his Keyblade to enter the fray, only to be held back by a sudden hand gripping his shoulder tightly.

"You may say that your answer is no now," Marluxia said, his voice but an ominous whisper as he leaned in close beside Sora. "But mark my words: before you depart from this very world, you _will _belong to the Organization."

Sora didn't bother to respond to this, instead acting on fearful impulse alone as he lashed out to strike the Organization member with his Keyblade. Strangely though, as soon as the Kingdom Key swiftly approached him, Marluxia vanished into thin air, leaving Sora rather shellshocked by the frightening claim he had just made. One that he didn't even have time to try to make sense of as an entirely new threat caught his attention.

That threat came in the form of a larger winged Nobody that had largely evaded the group fending its kin off to approach the nearby wooden dam. Without warning, the creature slammed its sizable body into the structure, apparently in an attempt at wearing it down, an effort that seemed to be working as a few of the sturdy boards keeping the river held back began to buckle and splinter under the force of the attack.

"H-hey!" Sora shouted to the others, wasting no time in pointing out the Nobody's assault on the dam. From there, that creature immediately became their priority, but even as Donald fired off a lightning spell to stop it, the Nobody crashed into the dam one final time, landing a steady, solid crack that a small spray of water already began to burst out of, one that only threatened to grow as the rest of the structure rumbled in warning.

"Not good! Not good!" Flynn exclaimed, aptly panicked. "The whole thing's gonna burst! We gotta get outta here ASAP!"

Rapunzel took pause at this, taking a quick glance around the area before coming up with a timely idea. Without warning, she tossed her hair out, using it as a lasso to hook onto a piece of wood hanging from the panning system spanning out from the dam. From there, she grabbed onto it and swung over to the other side of the canyon, not even sparing a single second before she threw the length of it back over to the others. "Catch!" she called, and fortunately Flynn did just that. He offered it to the trio first, allowing them to swing across the gap to join Rapunzel on the other side. Flynn only barely had time to do so, narrowly avoiding a wide swing from one of the Nobody's blades in the process, though no more than a second after he landed, the dam finally began to break apart entirely.

"Run!" Flynn shouted, pointing to the panning system that led down to the bottom of the canyon. Or more specifically, toward an open entryway that seemed to lead out of it. As more water started pouring out of the fractured dam in droves, they all rushed to slide down the chute, which itself was crumbling just as much as the dam was. And just as they all hastily reached the ground, the dam finally broke apart and overflowed completely.

It happened with a deafening crash, wood and water rushing forth with no sort of rhyme or reason to speak of. The canyon rattled as the river poured into it in a massive wave, one that Rapunzel, Flynn, and the trio could only flee from as it chased after them in a destructive torrent. The force of it was strong enough to wear down the integrity of one of the canyon's several rocky structures, one that began to topple toward the group as they neared the tunnel that would hopefully offer them a much-needed escape. The humongous stone only narrowly avoided crushing them all as they all rushed into the cave, just before the rock crashed to the ground to seal its entrance up altogether.

However, even now that they were out of the tidal wave, another problem soon became apparent. Because what they thought was a tunnel, was actually a _cave _instead, a small one that all five of them only barely fit in as it was now sealed on both sides. And to make matters even worse, water was still pouring in from what sparse cracks could be found between the stone covering its entrance and the cave itself, all-too quickly flooding it from the bottom up.

Acting on impulse, everyone began clamoring up as high in the cave as they possibly could, sticking close to its stony, solid back wall as water only continued to converge upon them all the while. Flynn quickly dove back into the water, hoping to find some sort of way out that had gone unnoticed, while Donald and Goofy immediately called upon their weapons once more, using them to try and chip away at the wall behind them as Rapunzel did the same with her frying pan.

Yet for his part amidst all this anxious chaos, Sora found himself freezing up once more, a familiar kind of panic washing over him as he stared out into the claustrophobic darkness they were all trapped in. Everyone else's frantic shouts and desperate clashes against the walls of the cave were practically deafened thanks to the ringing rising in his ears, the water swelling over his shoes largely unnoticed as his mind and body both went numb with fear. Because he'd been here before, albeit in a much different way. He'd been trapped, _locked away _in darkness so immense and inescapable that it had practically suffocated him completely. And though he'd miraculously managed to escape it before, here he found himself in the same place all over again. Caged, confined, _condemned _to a horrific fate he could do _nothing _to escape from, in so many more ways than one. Each more unbearable and nightmarish than the last.

By now, Flynn had surfaced once more, his search below the water futile from how incredibly _dark _the covered cave was. He joined Rapunzel, Donald, and Goofy at trying to pry the surrounding walls away, only to sustain a sharp, sudden cut on his palm thanks to one of the sharper rocks in the process. Briefly, he tried diving back down into the water for one last-ditch search, only to quickly come back up in an effort to save his breath. What little of it he had left, at least. "I-it's no use," he shook his head, coughing up a bit of water. "I can't see anything."

Rapunzel retaliated to this fact by plunging into the inky depths to look for herself, only for Flynn to hastily pull her right back up. "Hey! There's no point!" he gripped her shoulders tightly, noticing the terror welling up in her eyes. "It's pitch black down there."

Donald and Goofy exchanged a gasp of realization at this, both of them halting their own useless escape efforts in favor of a much better course of action. "Sora!" Goofy exclaimed as both him and Donald finally looked over to their young companion. "You gotta use your Keyblade to… Sora?" he paused, immensely concerned as they both finally took stock of his shaken, wide-eyed expression. One that almost immediately cued them both in to the fact that something was wrong, especially since this was something they'd seen before.

"Oh no," Donald gasped, both him and Goofy grabbing Sora's arms in the hopes of breaking him out of this spell of silent panic. "No, no, _no_! You_ can't _shut down again, Sora, not _now_!"

"T-that's right!" Goofy agreed, desperate. "Ya gotta snap out of it! We need you to get us out of here, please!"

Despite these frantic pleas, Sora remained unresponsive, his body still and his mind far, far away, as far back as shadowy, frigid cell Maleficent had kept him chained in, awash in remnant torment he knew he'd never be able to escape, no matter where he went or what he did.

As Donald and Goofy continued trying to break through to Sora somehow, Rapunzel and Flynn could only watch with pity and resignation as the immense weight of their deadly situation fully sunk in. The water level had reached their chests by now, and it showed no signs of stopping, leaving them with no way out and only a matter of time before their slow, dark fate consumed them all completely.

"T-this is all my fault…" Rapunzel whispered mournfully, holding back a small sob as she tore her gaze away from the others. "She was _right_, I _never _should have done this…" That sob finally escaped her as she noticed Flynn's equally devastated expression as he lingered close beside her. "I'm so… I-I'm so _sorry_, Sora, Donald, Goofy… F-Flynn…" By now she was all but lost to her grief as she broke down, agonized by the thought that her all-too brief time outside the tower was about to end right alongside the life she'd never really got to have.

For his part, however, Flynn stilled, looking to her despondently. Strangely, he found himself compelled to try to comfort her _somehow_, but the only way he could think of was one he ultimately knew wouldn't mean much in the end. "...Eugene," he said, letting out a sigh of resignation as he did.

Rapunzel was caught off guard by this, as were Donald and Goofy as they looked to him in confusion. "W-what?" Rapunzel asked, glancing up amidst her tears.

"My real name is Eugene Fitzherbert," he explained with a small, slightly embarrassed smile. "Someone might as well know."

Rapunzel couldn't help but let out a small, warm chuckle at this, not one of teasing, but one of appreciation for his honesty. Honesty that she found herself compelled to return in some way with a secret of her own. "I-I have magic hair that glows when I sing."

"...What?" Flynn-or _Eugene_, rather, asked, bewildered by such an odd concept.

Rapunzel, however, was lost on another train of thought entirely. One that she could only hope would be enough to save them all somehow. "I have magic hair that _glows _when I sing!" she exclaimed, realizing that she had no time to lose as the water was just starting to skim their necks now. _"Flower gleam and glow, let your power shine," _she sang as quickly as she could, not getting too much out before the water and the pitch-black darkness it brought along with it swallowed them all up completely.

But then, suddenly, there was light. Light that spread out from Rapunzel's hair as the length of it inexplicably illuminated in a radiant, golden glow. When Eugene saw it, he nearly lost the breath he was holding in shock, as did Donald and Goofy. Even Sora finally managed to break out of his revere, choking on the heavy stunned gasp he took in at the incredible sight of Rapunzel's shining locks. Yet those locks proved to be exactly what they all needed, for as they all followed the trail of it down toward the bottom of the cave, they happened to see a small suction of air from somewhere outside pulling the hair towards it. A way out, no doubt.

The group wasted no time swimming down toward this opening, and between all five of them hastily pushing and prying away at the rocks covering it, they'd fortunately, _finally _found the escape they were looking for just in time. With the rocks out of the way, the entire group was thrust out of the cave and out into the open river it fed into. Even though they were all absolutely waterlogged, they managed to surface on the nearby riverbank, all of them gasping for the air they'd lost in the harrowing, nearly deadly endeavor. It took a moment or two for everyone to properly recover and catch their breath, but once they finally had, Rapunzel was the first to let out a relieved sigh.

"We made it…" she smiled, checking over Pascal as he hopped back onto her shoulder. "We're alive!"

At the same time, Donald and Goofy wasted no time fretting over Sora as they all pulled themselves properly out of the river. "Are you ok?!" the magician asked rather frantically.

"Y-yeah…" Sora let out a small, allayed sigh himself as he lay back into the grass on the shore. "I'm _much _better now that we're out of there…"

"Are you sure?" Goofy asked, worriedly. "Because if you're not-"

"I _am_," Sora assured them both, not really wanting to discuss the matter any more than necessary. "I know I said I wouldn't freeze up like that again, but… we _were _in a really bad place back there. C-can you really blame me?"

"Mm… I guess not…" Donald noted frowning. "Just as long as you're-"

"Her hair glows…" Eugene suddenly spoke up starkly, catching everyone's attention.

"Eugene," Rapunzel attempted to explain as she began pulling the rest of her hair out of the river.

"It _actually _glows…"

"Eugene-"

"_Why _does her hair glow?!"

"Eugene!"

"_What_?!" Eugene snapped, desperate for _some _kind of answers.

Rapunzel smiled, not just at him, but at the clearly equally curious trio as well. "It doesn't _just _glow…"

* * *

Night had fallen by the time the group managed to put together a makeshift campsite. Rapunzel had gathered them all by the fire in the hopes of coming clean, but she figured the best way of explaining herself was by _showing _them all instead. So she took her spot next to Eugene, carefully taking his hand as she wrapped some of her hair around the cut that had been torn across it, much to everyone's confusion, especially Eugene's.

"So, you're being strangely cryptic as you wrap your magic hair around my injured hand," Eugene noted with something of an uncomfortable smile.

"Yeah, what's going on, Rapunzel?" Sora asked, just as out of the loop as all the others.

"Ah… it's…" Rapunzel trailed off with an anxious sigh. "Look, just… all of you, promise me, you won't freak out."

While the trio nodded, Eugene offered no such promise as he eyed her expectantly instead. Rapunzel ultimately folded, however, taking in a deep breath as she closed her eyes and began to, of all things, sing.

"_Flower, gleam and glow," _she began, her melody slow and solemn as her voice sang it clear and beautifully. _"Let your power shine." _It didn't take long for her hair to take on that bright, brimming glow once more, one that was almost as radiant as the sun itself as it flooded from her head across every inch of her lengthy locks. _"Make the clock reverse." _Eugene started as he noticed that light starting to approach the hair around his hand, and even as he glanced over at the trio, the most they could do was offer him baffled shrugs, none of them having the faintest idea as to what was happening either. _"Bring back what once was mine."_

"_Heal what has been hurt." _By now, the light had reached his hand, her hair sparkling with it as it brought a certain kind of pleasant warmth along with it. _"Change the Fates' design." _That warmth seemed to seep every last sting of pain right out of the cut on his palm, dumbfounding Eugene even more than he already was somehow. _"Save what has been lost." _He looked to Rapunzel at this, her own expression calm and her song as earnest as ever, a song she'd sung many times before over the years, though never for someone new. _"Bring back what once was mine... What once was mine…"_

As the song came to an end, the glow finally faded from her hair. As she opened her eyes to look at him, Eugene wasted no time in unwrapping her hair from his hand, only to gape in absolute shock at what he saw. When he showed his palm off to the trio a second later, they were also quite surprised to see that the large gash that had once marred it was completely _gone _without a single trace left behind.

"P-please don't freak out!" Rapunzel stopped Eugene just short of the scream he was about to let out.

"B-but… you just healed his hand!" Sora interjected, awestruck.

"With your hair!" Donald added just as incredulously, having never heard of such a thing despite his vast knowledge of magic.

"How'd you do that?" Goofy asked, aptly curious.

"Y-yeah, I'm also pretty interested in your hair and the magical qualities it possesses," Eugene spoke up, his voice tight and hasty as he threw on a forced smile, trying his hardest not to show how unsettled he really was. "H-how long has it been doing that exactly?"

"Forever, I guess," Rapunzel shrugged with a small laugh. Her smile quickly faded, however, as she pulled aside most of her long locks to reveal a surprisingly short, brown piece, a stark contrast to its uniform gold. "Mother says… when I was a baby, people tried to cut it. They wanted to take it for themselves. But once it's cut, it turns brown and loses its power. A gift like that… It has to be protected. That's why Mother never let me…" She trailed off, closing her eyes with a wistful sigh as she shook her head remorsefully.

"Is… that why you've never left that tower until now?" Sora filled in, finally starting to understand.

Rapunzel nodded, not really wanting to add anything else onto that. "And… you're still going to go back?" Eugene asked her, his tone soft and earnest.

"No!" Rapunzel exclaimed, but she immediately retracted. "Y-yes? Ugh…" she groaned, burying her face in her hands in exasperation. "It's complicated…"

The others all offered her sympathetic frowns at this, all of them wanting to give her some sort of advice to help ease her mind, though none of them really knew what that advice was really right in a situation as difficult as this. Even so, Rapunzel was quick to perk up once more, especially as she offered Eugene something of a wry, playful smile. "So… Eugene Fitzherbert, huh?"

"Oh, no, we don't need to go there," Eugene shook his head, somewhat flustered, despite his lingering smile.

"Aw, c'mon!" Sora coaxed, just as eager to know as Rapunzel was. "You can't just tell us your real name and then leave it at that. It's like we're meeting you all over again!"

"How'd you get "Flynn Rider" out of Eugene Fitherbert anyway?" Goofy asked, genuinely curious.

"You've _gotta _tell us!" Donald added just as adamantly.

"...You three are the _worst_, you know that?" Eugene teased the trio, who accepted it with a shared, amused laugh. "Fine. I just thought I'd spare you the sob story of poor orphan Eugene Fitzherbert. It's a little bit of a downer." Despite this, Rapunzel inched closer to him, the trio also intently leaning in to hear more. Which was why Eugene couldn't help but fold to their abundance of unspoken questions. "There was this book," he began with a nostalgic smile. "I used to read it every night to all the younger kids: _The Tales of Flynnigan Rider. _Swashbuckling rogue, richest man alive, not bad with the ladies either. Not that he'd ever brag about it of course. Best part: he had enough money to do anything he wanted to do, he could go anywhere he wanted to go. And… for a kid with nothing, I… I don't know, I… It just seemed like a better option…" He heard Rapunzel let out a gentle chuckle at this, only barely managing to suppress the rush of warmth that nearly filled his cheeks as he turned back to her. "You can't tell anyone about this, ok? Same goes for you three," he pointed at the trio. "It could ruin my whole reputation."

"Don't worry," Donald grinned.

"Your secret's safe with us!" Goofy offered a hearty salute.

"Yeah, we've got you covered, 'Flynn Rider'," Sora smirked with a lighthearted wink.

"Well, I don't know about you guys," Rapunzel said, offering Eugene a sweet, almost affectionate smile. "But just for the record, I like Eugene Fitzherbert much better than Flynn Rider…"

"Well…" Eugene returned her grin just as warmly. "Then you'd be the first. But thank you."

A beat of silence lingered after this, filled in by the peaceful sound of the fire crackling before them. And in that moment, Rapunzel and Eugene kept their sights set solely on each other, their mutual smiles radiating a new found of appreciation and respect, a certain kind of fondness that hadn't really been there just a few short hours before. A fondness they couldn't help but feel would only grow, that they both _wanted _to grow, almost as if it was a small seed that was only just starting to bloom.

That calm, contented moment lasted far too short, however, as Eugene happened to glance over at the trio sitting on the other side of the fire, catching their identical, knowing grins almost instantly. "And _what _exactly are you three looking at?" he asked, catching Rapunzel off guard in the process.

"Oh, you know," Sora shrugged, maintaining his coy grin. "You guys…"

"Sitting together in front of the fire…" Donald continued where he'd left off.

"Under the stars," Goofy finished with a thoughtful sigh. "It's awfully ro-"

"O-ok, ok!" Eugene interjected, suddenly standing and not bothering to make note of Rapunzel's confusion. "I-I think we're starting to run a little low on firewood. Why don't _you guys _help me go look for more?"

"Whatever you say, _Eugene_," Sora teased good-naturedly as he, Donald, and Goofy stood to join him in the forest. However, even as his companions set out ahead of him, Sora couldn't help but stop short just at the edge of the campsite, something that didn't go unnoticed by Rapunzel as she stayed behind.

"Sora?" she asked with a small frown. "Is something wrong?"

Sora hesitated, briefly glancing back at her before silently making note of her lengthy hair once more. Her magical _healing _hair, to be more precise. "Uh… no, I just…" he trailed off, checking to see that Donald and Goofy had moved on without him before he turned back to her. "C-can your hair really heal _anything_?"

"Well… yeah, I think so," Rapunzel nodded. "Why?"

Sora paused at this, not really wanting to burden her with this, with something she had no part of, and yet he couldn't help but want to try all the same. Anything to finally shake the Organization and their malice off his trail once and for all. Anything to finally feel even the smallest semblance of _safety _once more. "D-do you think it could heal… a really bad scar?" he asked, his hand lightly skimming his chest, where said scar lay hidden just under his shirt.

"I can try," Rapunzel offered, patting the seat beside her that Eugene had left open. "Let's see it."

"O-ok, but like I said, it's… pretty bad," Sora cautioned as he sat down. "I-I just don't want you freaking out when you see it."

"Well, since you didn't freak out over my hair, I think that's something I can manage," Rapunzel chuckled, though her tune quickly changed to shock as Sora lifted his shirt up to reveal the prominent X torn clean across it. "Sora…" she gasped, looking to him with immense concern. "W-what happened?"

"Uh… y-you know that guy in the black coat we met earlier?" Sora began to explain in the simplest way he could. "Well… his, um… his master was the one who did this to me awhile back…"

"Why?" Rapunzel asked, immediately sickened by the thought of anyone who would hurt someone as kind and friendly as Sora in such an awful way.

"It's a… _really _long story," Sora frowned, knowing he couldn't really get into it if he wanted to. "So do you think you can help?"

"...I'll see what I can do," Rapunzel said with an affirmative smile. From there, she took up her hair, Sora helping her wrap as much of it as possible around his torso, until the offending scar was covered by it completely. And then, Rapunzel returned to her seat and began her healing incantation anew.

"_Flower, gleam and glow. Let your power shine. Make the clock reverse. Bring back what once was mine."_

As Rapunzel continued to sing, Sora tried to let himself be calmed by her melody, tried to let her hair's healing light and warmth wash over him. Yet all the while, he couldn't help but think that even if this magic succeeded in wiping away the scar, he knew it'd be hard pressed to heal the rest of the damage his heart in particular had already faced. Damage so severe he wondered if any amount of light or healing could properly undo it at this point.

"_Heal what has been hurt. Change the Fates' design. Save what has been lost. Bring back what once was mine. What once was mine."_

As her song came to an end, the light brimming off of Rapunzel's hair faded once more as she looked to Sora with a small, hopeful smile. She helped him carefully unwrap her hair from around his chest, but as soon as they did, they were both met with a sight that shocked them both. The scar was still _there_, every bit as large and sinister as it had been before, without even the slightest sign that Rapunzel's healing magic had worked on it at all.

"W-what… why… why didn't it work?" Rapunzel asked, stunned as she looked between the hair she was holding in her hands and Sora's scar. "I-it's never _not _worked before… I-is… Could there be something wrong with my hair..?"

"N-no," Sora immediately replied, his expression shaken as he pulled his shirt back down to conceal the awful scar once again. "I-I should have known it wouldn't have worked… I-it didn't work when me or Donald tried healing it either... There's nothing wrong with your hair; the problem is t-there's… there's something wrong with _me_…"

"...W-what do you mean?" Rapunzel asked, her tone intent and worried.

Sora sighed, unsure of even how to explain any of this in a way that made sense, much less in a way that would maintain the world order. But even beyond that, while it was something he'd more or less admitted to himself by now, he'd never so much as even discussed the complete truth of the matter with even his own companions. Yet even so he'd been bearing this rather unbearable secret for so long now, shouldering the terrifying, unshakable weight of it all entirely on his own. He couldn't deny that it might be something of a relief to finally let _someone _in on the truth, even if he couldn't really let that someone know the full scope of what he was facing.

"Y-you heard what that Marluxia guy said about his master inviting me into their Organization, right?" Sora began, trying to tread as carefully as possible with all this. Rapunzel nodded, closely listening as she prompted him to continue his woeful tale. "Well... it's actually _more _than just an invitation… They're… they've been doing something to my heart… It's… kind of hard to explain, but basically… they're trying to… t-to force me to join their side..."

"But… n-no," Rapunzel shook her head as she tried to make sense of what he'd just told her. "Those people are bad, aren't they? You're nothing like them! You said so yourself that you'd never join them… would you?"

"No, of course not!" Sora readily denied, though he still faltered with an anxious sigh all the same. "It's just… I don't really know much longer I'll actually have a say in whether or not I do…" At this, he pulled off one of his gloves to show her the darkness congregating over his hand and wrist, just about the clearest, most understandable visible clue he could offer her about what was happening to him.

And even if Rapunzel didn't completely understand the full meaning behind it, she could tell just how daunting and damaging that darkness must have been just by meeting Sora's pained, practically distraught expression alone. "I-is… is all this why you froze up earlier in the cave?" she almost hesitated to ask, not wanting to bring up any unwanted memories.

"No, that… t-that was something else completely…" Sora muttered, not really going into too much detail outside of that.

"Sora…" Rapunzel said, her tone and expression both immensely sympathetic. "It sounds like you've been through so much…"

"...Yeah, I… guess you could say that…" Sora agreed after a long beat of solemn silence. Rapunzel couldn't help but notice that, even though he was only a few years younger than she was, right now he carried an air of someone who was much older, of someone who had seen and endured far more horrors and pain than anyone his age should have known. Based on her own very limited life experiences, she couldn't even hope to compare to the incredible struggles he'd been through, that still didn't mean she didn't want to at least want to find a way to ease the suffering of one of her new, and really only, friends all the same.

"I'm sorry my magic didn't work on your scar…" she said quietly, sadly as she voiced her earnest desire aloud. "I just… wish there was _something _I could do to help you after how you helped me feel more comfortable about being out of my tower earlier…"

Sora offered her a small, earnest smile at this, appreciating the kind sentiment even if he wasn't sure if there was much anyone could do to _really _fix this. "...The best way you can help me is by not saying a word about any of this to Donald and Goofy…" he said, trying to repress the shame starting to enter his tone. "Neither of them know and… well, I'd kind of like to keep it that way for now, at least."

"...Why?" Rapunzel asked, confused.

It took Sora a moment to come up with a suitable answer to this, knowing that all of his reasons for withholding such important information from his companions were rather flimsy at best. Yet whenever all those flimsy answers came together, they always proved to be just enough to compel him to maintain his silence. To keep a secret that he hated hiding from them, but had no choice but to do exactly that. "I-it's like you said before…" he finally replied with yet another empty sigh. "It's complicated…" A rather short beat of silence passed between the pair at this, one that Sora capped off as he rose to stand. "Speaking of those two, I should probably go find them. And Eugene too. Will you be ok here by yourself?"

Rapunzel nodded, seeing him off with a weak, yet encouraging smile, one that reaffirmed her promise to keep the heavy secret he'd just entrusted her with. Fortunately, as he departed into the darkened forest, Sora wasn't left alone with his own rather dreary thoughts for too long before he happened to literally bump right into both of his companions.

"Sora!" Donald huffed, dropping the pile of firewood he'd gathered out of surprise. "Where have you been!?"

"We've been looking all over for you," Goofy added allayed that they'd found him.

"Oh, well, you didn't have to be worried," Sora assured them with a small, somewhat fake smile. "I was just hanging back with Rapunzel."

"Hm… well, just as long as you weren't getting yourself lost out here," Donald remarked as they continued down the forest trail. Though all the while, they were largely unaware of who happened to be listening to their conversation until that eavesdropper decided to make themselves known.

"Excuse me, good travelers!" The trio was caught off guard by this call, each of them turning to see a cloaked woman hastily approaching them. She removed her hood to reveal her wavy raven hair and sharp, yet elegant features, which showed only the sparsest signs of aging and were currently awash in apparent concern. "I couldn't help but overhear. Do you three know my Rapunzel?"

"Well… yeah, we do," Goofy nodded.

"Why?" Donald asked, curious.

"My apologies," the woman said cordially. "I am Rapunzel's mother. The poor child left home without a word and I've just been worried sick. Please tell me, where is my dear, sweet girl?"

"Oh, well, she's-"

"We don't know," Sora succinctly interrupted Goofy's answer, his tone stiff and surprisingly serious as he looked to Rapunzel's mother evenly. "We were with her earlier, but then we lost her. Sorry."

"What?" Donald asked, confused. "But we didn't-"

The magician stopped short as he caught the concise, surprisingly stern glance Sora was sending his way. Yet even despite how steady his answer had been, that didn't necessarily mean Rapunzel's mother was buying it. "You lost track of her?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at Sora in particular. "Really?"

"Yes," Sora replied, meeting her suspicious glare squarely. Unflinchingly, even despite the blatant lie he was telling her. "Really."

Fortunately this time, the woman seemed to relent as she let out a disgruntled, irritated scoff. "Very well then, you're of no use to me," she scowled, stepping past the trio to be on her way. "I'll find her myself…"

The very moment they were sure Rapunzel's mother was out of earshot, Donald and Goofy didn't hesitate to unload the most obvious question upon Sora right off the bat. "Sora, why'd you lie to her?" Goofy asked in a bewildered whisper. "She seemed like she was awfully worried about Rapunzel…"

"I don't know, something just… seemed _off _about her…" Sora said, still keeping his sights set on the direction the woman had gone. "Plus, you heard what Rapunzel said. Her _mom _was the one who never let her leave that tower before today. And something tells me that if she finds her, she might try to make her go back."

"So… what should we do?" Donald asked with a frown.

"...Come on," Sora urged the pair, leading the way back toward camp. Even so, they intentionally took a different route than Rapunzel's mother had, keeping close to the trees as they neared it, especially as they began to pick up on bits and pieces of conversation.

While Eugene hadn't returned from his search for firewood, sure enough Rapunzel's mother had easily found her even without the trio's assistance. And while she tried to pull her daughter along to go home with her, Rapunzel wasn't about to let that happen so easily. "M-Mother, you don't understand," she began anxiously, trying her best to stand her ground. "I've been on this incredible journey, I've made new friends, and I've seen and learned so much! I… I even met someone…"

"Yes, the wanted thief," Gothel deadpanned patronizingly. "I'm so _proud_. Now, come along."

As Gothel tried forcefully taking her away once more, the trio nearly moved to stop her and defend Rapunzel. Yet they stopped short as Rapunzel put forth the effort to defend herself instead. "Mother, wait!" she protested, stopping in her tracks. "I think… I think he likes me…"

"_Likes _you?" Gothel scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Please, Rapunzel, that's demented! This is why you never should have left to begin with! It's like I told you before, you're _far _too naive to be out here. What could _possibly _make you think that no-account thief would be impressed with _you_? You're only setting yourself up for heartbreak, love. But it doesn't have to happen if you just come home with your mother-"

"No!" Rapunzel cut her off firmly, refusing to back down from her just like she always had before.

"...No?" Gothel raised an eyebrow as her expression switched to a dark, almost sinister grin. "Oh. I see how it is… Suddenly Rapunzel's _so _mature now, so _clever _and _grown up_. Fine. If you're so sure of that criminal's "feelings" for you, why don't you go ahead and give him _this_?"

Rapunzel gasped as Gothel held up Eugene's satchel, which she knew she'd securely hidden away back at the tower. "H-how did you-"

"_This _is why he's here!" Gothel exclaimed, presenting the tiara that had been tucked away inside of the bag. "He's deceiving you, Rapunzel! Give it to him and see for yourself how fast he'll leave you behind once he gets what he's after."

"I-I will!" Rapunzel challenged, catching both the tiara and the satchel as Gothel threw them her way.

"And when you _do _put him to the test and he _does _leave you," Gothel continued harshly as she began to make her retreat. "I won't say I told you so. _Don't _come crying to me when your little fantasy falls apart at the seams! Just remember, dear… _Mother knows_ _best_…"

And, without another single word, Gothel disappeared into the night, leaving Rapunzel behind and alone to let her worrying words sink in. Any former confidence and resolve she had shown before were quick to falter as she looked back to the crown in her hands, fear starting to creep in that her mother's words were actually _true_. That Eugene only cared about the treasure she'd taken from him and was only feigning kindness and care for her to get that treasure back. That they weren't friends-much less anything more than that-at all.

"Rapunzel?" She gasped, hiding the satchel and the crown behind her as she spun around to see the trio arriving.

"S-Sora! Donald! Goofy!" she exclaimed, surprised, yet somewhat relieved that it was just them and not Eugene. "H-how much of that did you see…?"

"Just about all of it," Donald replied honestly.

"Are you ok?" Goofy asked, concerned.

"I… y-yeah," Rapunzel nodded, letting out the anxious breath she'd been holding in. "Mother thinks Eugene will leave if I give him this," she showed the trio the satchel. "But… you guys don't think he'd do that, do you?"

"No, of course he wouldn't," Sora said, readily believing that fact. "No offense, but I think your mom was wrong. All you'd need to do to prove it is show him that bag and I bet that even if he knew you had it, he'd stay for sure."

"Yeah, it's like you said, Rapunzel," Goofy added supportively. "Eugene's really started takin' a liking to ya!"

"I… really like him too…" Rapunzel admitted with a soft, fond smile. "B-but… that's why I'm not so sure about telling him I have his satchel… What if Mother really _is _right after all?"

"But what if she _isn't_?" Sora countered evenly.

Rapunzel couldn't deny the hope mingled with dread that ran through her at this, especially as she glanced at the satchel once more. Just about all of her newfound hopes lied with this simple bag, one that could very well result in her newest dream coming true… or falling apart at the seams. "I… I'll tell him, but… not until I feel like the time is right," she said, tucking the satchel away out of sight behind a nearby rock. "Until then, do you guys mind keeping quiet about this to him? I-I want to be the one to give it to him when I'm ready to."

"Don't worry," Sora readily, immediately assured, not even needing to think twice. After all, Rapunzel had promised to keep his own, much more grave secret; the least he could do was strive to keep hers in return. "We won't say a word."

Though both Donald and Goofy hesitated, they both ultimately agreed with this course of action, allowing Rapunzel to let out a small, allayed smile as she breathed them a quiet word of thanks just as Eugene happened to return from the forest. "So, can I ask you something?" he addressed Rapunzel, completely oblivious as he looked over the hand she'd healed earlier. "Is there any chance that I'm going to get super strength in my hand? Because I'm not going to lie that would be stupendous." He stopped short, still toting his armful of firewood as he noticed Rapunzel and the trio lingering on the outskirts of their small campsite, looking to him in apparent alarm. "Uh… is everyone alright?"

"Oh, uh…"

"Yeah, we're doing great," Sora filled in for Rapunzel, putting on an easy, relaxed grin to throw Eugene off.

"Y-yeah," Rapunzel nodded as she picked up a similar sort of smile. "Just… lost in thought I guess."

Fortunately Eugene seemed to buy this, smirking as he continued his casual conversation while Rapunzel and the trio returned to their seats. "Here's the thing: superhuman good looks, I've always had. Born with 'em. But superhuman _strength_? Can you imagine the possibility of this?"

The others were only half listening, Rapunzel in particular as she stole a glance back at where she'd hidden the satchel away. Right along with all of the secrets she now found herself intentionally, willingly keeping.

But for all those secrets, even she didn't know that her mother was still watching her from a distance, engulfed in the shadows of the forest, just as she intended to do until her flower finally came to her senses and returned to where she rightfully belonged. To this end, Gothel barely even reacted as a dark corridor appeared behind her and her newfound "partner" stepped out to join her.

"Still keeping your flower in your sights, I see," Marluxia mused as smoothly as ever.

"But of course," Gothel grinned greedily. "Like I told you before, I'm getting her back to that tower, whether she comes willingly… or I have to drag her there myself. By the way," her smile faded into an irritated scowl. "You didn't mention that boy you're after has such a penchant for _lying_."

"It's a skill he's only developed recently, so I've been told," Marluxia said, putting on a hint of an amused smile himself now. "One that he's acquired by tirelessly, desperately, _foolishly _obscuring the truth from everyone he knows. Even himself, it seems."

"It's a 'skill' my Rapunzel seems to have picked up from the little brat," Gothel sneered crossly. "But no matter; she can only keep her mouth shut for so long, I'm sure. And when the inevitable finally does happen, I happen to have another iron in the fire to help nudge her along in the right direction. And that's where I'll be, patiently waiting for her return."

"Indeed," Marluxia agreed as he set his own sights on Sora in particular, just as his master had instructed him to do. "With just a touch of patience, we'll both soon be on the verge of getting exactly what we want. After all… good things come to those who wait."

* * *

**Ohohoh ominous foreshadowing to cap things off! I gotta say this one is rather lighthearted for the most part, but that's only because the second Tangled chapter is gonna be... a _lot_ and I'm really looking forward to it since it involves a scene I've been REALLY waiting to write in this story! So yeah, until we get there however, don't forget to REVIEW to let me know what you think of this one! Until next time! :D **


	28. Chapter 27: What Once Was Mine

_Boy oh boy, welcome to the now longest chapter of Keys so far (again). Would you believe it only took me 4 days to write this? Not even kidding, that's how incredibly motivated I was on this one because a TON happens in it. Its one that I've had in the cards for a long time now and I REALLY love how it turned out (I seriously think it might just be my favorite Disney-world centric chapter in this fic so far, I'm quite proud of the emotional roller coaster it is). And with that said, strap yourself in for that roller coaster because... oh boy... here we go ;) _

* * *

_Chapter 27: What Once Was Mine_

_Heal what has been hurt  
Change the Fate's design  
Save what has been lost  
Bring back what once was mine  
What once was mine_

The next morning was every bit as bright, warm, and sunny as the previous day was, one that started calmly and quietly enough. Everyone had managed to get a full, interrupted night's sleep, bereft of any unwanted, unexpected appearances from Heartless, Nobodies, or any of Eugene's various pursuers alike. Of course, that peace was soon broken as Eugene happened to awaken to see one of those very pursuers standing over him. The white palace horse was infuriated to say the least, clearly exhausted from tracking down the thief throughout night. He glared down at Eugene relentlessly, ready to apprehend him and haul him off to the castle dungeon where he belonged. Yet for his part, Eugene merely met the stallion's fury with a wry grin as he prepared to go right back to sleep.

"Well, I hope you're here to apologize," he remarked, only for his easygoing tune to switch into a panicked scream as the horse violently lashed out at him. That scream easily woke Rapunzel and the trio up to see the newfound chaos that was unfolding before them as the horse began to forcibly drag Eugene away by his boot. "N-no! Put me down!" he protested, clawing at the ground. "Stop it! No!"

In an instant, Rapunzel, Sora, Donald, and Goofy were all on their feet to give chase after the steed, with Rapunzel reaching Eugene first as she pulled against the horse's tight hold on him. "H-hey! Let go of him!" she shouted, her grip on Eugene's hands secure as the trio joined in to help her get him back. Despite Eugene's frantic pleas for both sides to stop yanking on him, Rapunzel and the trio ultimately won out against the horse, resulting in everyone getting knocked back as the steed only managed to claim the thief's boot out of the scuffle. That hardly deterred the horse however, for he stormed forward once again, ready to apprehend the wanted criminal himself, only for Rapunzel and the trio to rush in to his rescue once more.

"Whoa! Easy, boy!" Rapunzel called to the horse, who was trying to break past the line of defense before it. "Settle down." She evened her tone as the horse finally began to still, smiling up at him as he eyed her distrustfully. Even so, the steed was caught off guard by Pascal, perched atop the blonde's head as he dryly motioned for the stallion to cool his rampage down. Confused, the horse likewise looked between the trio, each of whom were silently asking the same thing out of him as Rapunzel issued a calm, soothing command. "Now, sit," she said and surprisingly the stallion did just that, much to Eugene's bewilderment.

"Aw! You're such a good boy!" Rapunzel grinned, giving the horse's muzzle an affectionate hug. "Yes, you are!" The horse eased up much more at this, his tail wagging as he allowed Rapunzel to continue petting him. "Are you all tired from chasing this bad man all over the place?"

"_Excuse _me?" Eugene protested as he picked himself up off the ground.

"Nobody appreciates you, do they? Huh?" Rapunzel continued, embracing the horse himself as he shook his head in disappointment.

"Oh come on! He's a bad horse!" Eugene exclaimed, baffled.

"I dunno, Eugene," Sora remarked with a small chuckle alongside Donald and Goofy. "He seems pretty friendly now."

"Rapunzel sure does have a way with animals," Goofy added just as amused.

"Tch, that's only 'cause _she's _not the one that fleabag's been harassing for the past day or so," Eugene huffed, crossing his arms.

"Fleabag?" Rapunzel glanced back, shaking her head as the horse continued soaking in her praise. "Aw, no, he's nothing but a big sweetheart! Isn't that right…" she trailed off, briefly checking the nameplate on the horse's bridle. "Maximus?"

"You've _got _to be kidding me…" Eugene grumbled, flinching as the horse suddenly sent him a vicious, threatening scowl.

"L-look," Rapunzel interjected, calming Maximus down once more. "Today is… kind of the biggest day of my life, and the thing is… I need you to _not _get him arrested." She pulled Eugene forward, eliciting a disgruntled huff out of the horse in the process. "Just for 24 hours!" Rapunzel continued her appeal. And then… you can chase each other to your hearts' content, ok?"

Rapunzel looked between Eugene and Maximus at this, her expression earnest and pleading all the while. And while Eugene was the first to hesitantly extend a hand in a peace offering, Maximus was having no parts of it as he fiercely glared away in refusal. "And… it's also my birthday…" Rapunzel continued, upholding her hopeful smile. "Just so you know."

Maximus couldn't help but relent at this, meeting Eugene's hand with a hoof so they could shake on their tentative cease-fire. Still, as on-edge as the steed already was, it wasn't long before Maximus turned his suspicious attention toward the trio instead, largely since they hadn't particularly garnished his trust the way Rapunzel already had.

"Hey! What are you looking at?" Donald asked, returning the steed's dubious scowl.

"C'mon, Donald, be nice," Goofy advised with a lighthearted grin.

"Um… is everything ok, big guy?" Sora asked Maximus himself, uncertain of what the horse might do next. Fortunately though, just as Maximus let out a bitter sneer, Rapunzel stepped in to calm him down once more.

"Hey now, it's ok," she said, patting his side gently. "This is Sora, Donald, and Goofy. They're friends of mine. You can trust them."

Maximus seemed to listen to her as he looked to the trio once more, ultimately nodding in approval when it came to them coming along. At the same time, Eugene had just finished packing up their makeshift camp, far from pleased that they'd have the relentless horse as an unexpected tagalong. His annoyance soon broke however, as he looked to Rapunzel, who happened to have overheard the morning bells sounding from the kingdom they were only a short distance away from now. Not wanting to wait another moment, she urged the rest of the group onward down the forest trail, practically running along it in the hopes of making it to the city on time. And after about an hour or so of traveling, fortunately without encountering any further obstacles along the way, they happened to do exactly that.

Rapunzel was practically beside herself with elation as she rushed down the long, cobblestone bridge that led toward Corona's towering capital city, a picturesque collection of homes and buildings topped off with the kingdom's glistening palace at its peak. The entire city was surrounded by a wide, crystal blue bay, and even from outside its main gate, the hustle and bustle from within could be clearly heard as the group approached it. Rapunzel eagerly led the way toward that gate, with Eugene and Maximus trailing not too far behind her, only barely avoiding petty conflict with each other the entire time.

The trio followed a ways behind them, with Sora in particular largely caught up in Rapunzel's rather infectious excitement about what awaited them at the festival just ahead. "Rapunzel sure looks happy," he noted with a pleased smile.

"Well, her dream's about to come true," Goofy pointed out. "Once they send those lanterns up after dark, that is."

"Yeah! We don't wanna miss that!" Sora nodded, his enthusiastic grin widening as he began to push on ahead.

"What about that Key we _still _need to find?" Donald asked, raising a knowing eyebrow. "You always seem to forget about them whenever you get too "busy" with something else."

"I didn't forget," Sora retorted, glancing back over his shoulder casually. "We're winging it, remember? I'm sure we'll find that Key sooner or later."

"That's the spirit!" Goofy chuckled as he followed Sora's lead. Donald let out an exasperated sigh before ultimately doing the same, all three of them venturing into the town to catch up with Eugene and Rapunzel.

As they did, they were met with the sight of a busy, yet vibrantly colorful market, alive with activity from the countless happy townsfolk roaming about. The entire town was decorated specifically for the festival with flowers and flags alike, creating an air of patriotic merriment that captivated Rapunzel the moment she stepped foot into it. Never before had she ever seen so many people at once, and she couldn't wait to be a part of the cheery crowds before her. Yet as she rushed ahead to join them, she was held back, quite literally, by her hair of all things.

As long as her locks were and with so many people around, it didn't take long before passerby began trampling upon it unintentionally. Fortunately, Eugene and the trio rushed to gather the lengthy train of gold up to protect it from any further harm, but even so they were still presented with the problem of what to do with it moving forward. It didn't take very long for Eugene to spot a solution to that problem in the form of four young girls avidly braiding each other's hair next to a nearby fountain. And as soon as he presented Rapunzel's nearly endless locks to them, the girls were more than eager to tackle such an incredible challenge.

Between all four of the girls, it wasn't long before Rapunzel's hair was contained to a thick, sturdy braid, accented with an array of colorful flowers as it hung down her back, its tip still nearly touching the ground all the same. Eugene couldn't help but smile warmly at how lovely she looked, how _happy _she seemed to be here, with _him_. Not that he wouldn't admit that to anyone, especially not to Sora, Donald, Goofy, or Maximus as they all sent him a series of wry, knowing looks, looks that he made sure to rebuff just as playfully as they all joined back up with Rapunzel.

From there, she took charge, brightly leading the group through the busy streets so they could partake in all the festival had to offer. From checking out the local bookstore, to joining in on creating colorful sidewalk art, to narrowly avoiding patrolling guards, the group found there was plenty of fun to be had as the morning carried on into the afternoon. Various vendors had been set up for fruits, bread, cakes, pastries, flowers, flags, souvenirs, and just about everything in between, all delights that they made sure to explore. However, as they all stood in line for one of those vendors in particular, Rapunzel happened to take notice of a nearby mosaic mural adorning one of the walls nearby. She stepped out of line to get a closer look, particularly to watch the family that was placing a flower on the ground before it in apparent homage to a "lost princess". Curious, she set her sights on the mural, clearly depicting the kingdom's king and queen, a kindly-looking couple that was proudly holding their infant daughter. The infant herself, however, the lost princess most likely, was what caught Rapunzel's attention the most: a child with bright green eyes and noticeably long, golden hair, especially for a baby. A baby that Rapunzel couldn't help but think looked almost like-

Her train of thought was soon broken by the sound of music rising from the nearby square. Intrigued, Rapunzel hurried to investigate, only to find a band of minstrels playing an upbeat, lively tune. Eugene and the trio alike turned to find that Rapunzel had joyfully started dancing to the melody, the only one among the spectating townsfolk to really be doing so, at least until she began to pull a handful of them in to join her. And within a few mere minutes, the square was alive with this festive communal celebration, one that Rapunzel was delighted to bring even more dancers in to join.

"C'mon! Dance with us!" she urged, catching Sora off guard as she grabbed his arm to pull him toward the square first. For his part, Sora didn't argue, instead warmly laughing as he fell in step alongside Rapunzel and the other townsfolk, easily getting a sense of their rhythm as he gladly followed their lead.

As Sora properly joined the spirited dance, Donald and Goofy remained on the sidelines, both of them wearing a shared, contented smile as they noticed just how much he seemed to be enjoying himself. "Boy, Sora sure looks like he's having fun," Goofy said with a bright grin.

"Good," Donald earnestly agreed. "It's like you said before; he deserves something like this after everything he's been through."

"Hm?" Eugene spoke up, both him and Maximus sending the pair a curious glance upon overhearing this. "What do you mean by that? What exactly has Sora been through?"

Donald and Goofy exchanged a hesitant glance at this, hard pressed to even discuss what had happened to Sora now that he seemed so far removed from it all, so _free _from the trauma and strife he had gone through because of it. So genuinely, purely _happy _as he heartily danced seemingly without a single care in the world, a stark contrast to the crushing low he'd been at just a few short weeks prior. "Um, well…" Donald began apprehensively. "Long story short, not that long ago, one of our enemies, um… well, she captured Sora-"

"A-and she poisoned him," Goofy added just as gravely. "W-we managed to save him, but… he was down and out for weeks after that. He's really only startin' to get _actually _better now, and-"

"And that's why something like this might be just what he needs," Donald concluded, smiling as he spotted Sora cheerfully spinning alongside Rapunzel within the crowd. "Ever since any of this happened, all we've wanted to do is help him feel better. It's… good to see him smile again."

"_Really _smile again," Goofy added, sharing the magician's genuine relieved grin as they continued to watch their young companion from afar.

"...Wow…" Eugene frowned, sending a deeply sympathetic glance Sora's way. "I… I had no idea. Poor kid. He must be pretty strong to go through something like that and manage to bounce back at all."

"Oh, he's strong alright," Goofy firmly, readily agreed.

"More than he likes to give himself credit for…" Donald nodded with a sense of mutual pride.

By now, the dance in the square was going full swing, the musicians ramping up their performance to accompany it. Rapunzel offered Eugene a bright grin as she spotted him on the edge of the crowd, gesturing for him to join her the moment she managed to catch his attention. Though he returned her smile, he ultimately rejected her offer, knowing he wasn't too keen on dancing in public, only for Maximus to give him a literal shove in the right direction. Despite his initial hesitance, it wasn't long before Eugene was dragged into the dance alongside the participating townsfolk, trying to catch Rapunzel's hand as she trotted by only for someone else to pull her off in a different direction instead. As they both swung through the square once again, they continued to reach for each other several times over, though their hands never got quite close enough to connect, even as the dance grew more and more elaborate.

Even amidst the fast-paced promenade, Sora couldn't help but notice one of the pairs' several failed attempts to dance with each other, and from there it didn't take very long for him to devise a makeshift plan to get them together. The music, and therefore the dance, were rapidly approaching their shared crescendo, but even so Sora managed to pair up with Rapunzel, pulling her away from the bulk of the crowd so he could lead her over to Eugene instead, both of them still actively dancing all the while. While initially confused, Rapunzel understood the point of his unspoken plan as he suddenly spun her out, specifically in Eugene's direction. And, on the final, bombastic beat of the song, Rapunzel and Eugene _finally _came together, their hands intertwining as they found themselves breathless after such a lengthy, rapid dance, their faces unintentionally close together as the crowd erupted into elated cheers around them. It was a bright, jubilant sort of moment, one that the pair couldn't help but relish as they exchanged a mutual ecstatic smile, though it was soon enough broken by an announcement ringing out across the square.

"To the boats!"

With this signal that the lanterns would soon be taking off, the pair parted, both of them somewhat flustered as their warm, red cheeks clearly told. Still, they wasted no time in joining the majority of the townsfolk in making their way down to the docks, checking in with the trio along the way to find they were going to watch the lanterns from there. Still, Sora, Donald, and Goofy gladly saw Rapunzel and Eugene off as they took to the lake on a small canoe, just as the sun was beginning to set and give way to twilight.

"Where are we going?" Rapunzel asked as Eugene paddled them out toward the center of the lake.

"Best day of your life? I figured you should have a decent seat," Eugene grinned as he finally stopped the canoe on the far edge of the large lake. By now, night had fully fallen, the skies fittingly bereft of any stars in favor of the lanterns that were about to rise in their place. The town itself had gone dark as it reflected upon the water, which meant that all the pair could really do now was wait.

Yet in that waiting, Rapunzel let out a small, anxious sigh as she leaned against the side of the boat to face the kingdom. Eugene quickly took notice of her obvious worry, finding it strange given just how much excitement she'd shown toward what she was about to see since the moment he'd met her. "You ok?" he asked softly from his spot beside her.

"I'm _terrified_," she admitted earnestly. "I've been… looking out a window for 18 years, _dreaming _about what it might feel like when those lights rise in the sky. What if… it's not everything I dreamed it would be…?"

"...It _will _be," Eugene assured her with a soft, gentle smile.

"And what if it _is_?" Rapunzel asked, glancing over at him. "What do I do then?"

"Well, that's the good part, I guess," his smile widened somewhat. "You get to go find a new dream."

She finally returned his smile at this, her heart stirring with far too many emotions to count, though she found most of her dread soon began to fade away, especially as her gaze lingered on him. Eventually though, she found her sights wandering back toward the water, only for her to spot the smallest speck of newfound light glistening upon its reflection. She gasped when she saw it, knowing beyond a doubt what it was; after all, she'd seen the very same thing every year on this very night for as long she could remember. But now, she wasn't just watching from a window; she was _there_, where it actually happened, about to be a part of it all for the very first time in her entire life.

She nearly tipped the canoe over completely as excitement overtook her, prompting her to clamor to stand against its bow so she could get a better view. Sure enough, more lanterns began to rise from the kingdom in wake of that first one, tens, hundreds, _thousands _of lights taking to the air as they filled the night sky in a gentle, radiant, heavenly glow. It was beautiful, far more beautiful than she could have ever imagined, than she ever could have hoped, like something out of a dream, a dream that she'd had many times before, but now, for the first time, it was actually _real. _

It wasn't long before the lanterns drifted out across the lake, surrounding them and reflecting off its surface to heighten the splendor of it all even more. Rapunzel took pause, however, noticing that there was a sudden bloom of light behind her, one that she discovered the source of as she turned to see Eugene sitting behind her. He offered her a knowing, yet easy smile as he held the pair of lanterns he'd bought and lit earlier, just for the two of them to truly take part in this momentous event. It was a simple gift, really, but one that touched Rapunzel deeply as she took her seat across from him once more. And in that moment, she had no doubts, no questions left in her mind in the slightest about his sincerity. Which meant that perhaps it was finally time for her to be sincere with him in return.

"I have something for you too," she said, pulling out his satchel. Eugene seemed somewhat surprised to see that she had it, but she smiled as his attention quickly shifted back to her while she explained. "I should have given it to you before, but I was just scared. And the thing is… I'm not scared anymore. You know what I mean?"

Slowly, Eugene reached forward to push the satchel down, hardly caring about the treasure hidden away within it in favor of the much greater treasure now sitting right out here in the open before him. A treasure worth far more to him than anything money could possibly hope to buy. "I'm starting to…" he said as he gave her one of the lanterns.

Together, they sent their lanterns skyward, watching them drift up into the air together in what almost looked like a graceful dance as they floated around each other into the night, rising to join the myriad of distant lights hanging high above them. Rapunzel was still completely captivated by their beauty, but all the while, Eugene found himself amazed by another beautiful sight entirely. He couldn't help but smile with the utmost affection as he watched her, practically _glowing _in the lanterns' light, her smile wide and awestruck and her eyes sparkling as they reflected the countless lights all around them. She was a wonder, a mystery, a _miracle, _to say the least, perhaps the very miracle his mess of a life had always needed. For so long he'd been searching and scraping by to find his place in the world. But when he was with her, for perhaps the first time in his entire life, everything finally felt _right_. As long as he was with her, he felt like he was exactly where he was meant to be.

Carefully, he placed his hand over hers, drawing her attention away from the lights, though her smile grew exponentially as she met his own. With their hands now both intertwined, they began to lean in close, their hearts warm and full with emotions that felt brand new to both of them, emotions that were more than welcome for just how fulfilling and bright they really were. The lanterns around them practically felt blurred, a golden halo surrounding them both as their sights settled solely on each other and nothing else. Yet despite that blur, despite those sights, everything felt perfectly clear, almost as if both of them were finally, _finally _seeing the light for the very first time. A light that they knew, would _always _lead them to where their hearts truly wanted them to be.

And yet…

Just before Eugene could properly bridge the small gap between their lips, his gaze happened to drift upward, toward the lake shore not too far away. And, standing in the darkness, was a pair that made his blood run cold: the Stabbington Brothers. Clearly they were waiting for him, a fact made apparent as they motioned for him to join them on the shore. He didn't even have to think twice about what they wanted either, especially as he looked down at the satchel sitting on the seat beside Rapunzel.

"I-is everything ok?" she asked him, her smile fading somewhat as she glanced back to the now-empty shore.

"Uh, y-yes," he replied with a nervous chuckle as he grabbed the canoe's paddle once more. "I just… um…" He trailed off, stealing another glance at the satchel as he realized exactly what he needed to do, what he hoped would be the last act of his thieving career if all went well.

Rapunzel had plenty of questions for him as he pulled the canoe to the shore, none that he had proper answers for, at least not yet. "I'm sorry," he began earnestly as he took the satchel. "Everything is fine. There's just… something I have to take care of."

Briefly, Rapunzel eyed the satchel in his arms warily, her mothers' harsh accusations dully ringing through her mind once more, though she was quick to put such thoughts away. She trusted him, he was _worthy _of her trust. He'd proved that several times over by now. Yet even so, she couldn't deny the steady dread that filled her heart as she offered him a small smile and a nod. "O-ok."

"I-I'll be right back," Eugene assured her as he began to head down the shoreline, hoping that the Stabbingtons wouldn't drag this out for too long. Especially since he had someone so important to get back to.

All the while, Rapunzel watched him, trying her hardest not to let her nerves and fears get the better of her as Pascal took up his usual comforting perch on her shoulder. "It's alright, Pascal," she said, trying to convince herself more than the chameleon really. "He'll be right back, just like he said." She sighed, however, wanting more than anything else to believe that, and yet… her heart still found room to doubt it all the same. "I-I know he will…"

* * *

While it wasn't the same as a boat out on the lake, the docks were just about the next best spot the trio could have hoped for to watch the lanterns take flight. Their collective radiance was breathtaking, to say the least, especially as the lights drifted all around them in seemingly every direction. True, they'd seen plenty of other incredible, beautiful sights in their countless journeys to other worlds, but they were hard-pressed to think of any as magically luminous as this.

"Garwsh, this sure was worth all the trouble it took for us to get here, huh?" Goofy asked, thoroughly impressed.

"I'll say," Donald soundly agreed. His bright smile quickly shifted to annoyance however, as he happened to glance over at Sora, who was eagerly tapping away at the Gummi Phone instead of paying any attention to the lanterns surrounding them. "Really, Sora? You're on that phone _now_, of _all _times for you to be messing with it?"

"If you're distracted with that, you're gonna miss out on seeing the lights!" Goofy pointed out with a small, amused chuckle.

"I'm not gonna miss them," Sora assured, rebuffing them with a wry grin as he briefly glanced up. "Don't worry; this'll only take a sec."

"It better, otherwise we won't have to worry about it distracting you because it'll be at the bottom of this lake," Donald threatened, crossing his arms.

Sora simply offered a small, playful laugh in response as he held the phone out a bit, watching it expectantly as it rang in the hopes that who he was calling would actually answer. After all, if there was anyone he'd want to share such a special sight with, it was her.

Kairi let out a loud, disgruntled groan as her quiet, peaceful slumber was interrupted by the sound of her Gummi Phone ringing on her nightstand. Groggily, she sat up, wiping a bit of the sleep out of her eyes so she could answer the device, initially far too tired to even wonder or care about who might be calling her at such an incredibly late hour of the night. That is, until she saw who happened to pop up on screen once she managed to answer it.

"_Kairi! Hi!"_

She gasped, immediately awake as a sudden burst of worry flooded her heart. "Sora! What's wrong?!" she asked, gripping her phone tightly as she looked at his image on it intently. After all, he'd promised that she'd be the first one he'd call if he managed to get himself into any sort of trouble he couldn't handle on his own. "A-are you alright? Where are you? Do you need me to-"

"Whoa, hey, hold on, it's ok," Sora quickly assured with a small, light laugh. "Everything's fine. Great, actually. Right, guys?"

Donald and Goofy voiced their agreement to this, something that seemed to confuse Kairi more than set her mind at ease. _"So… you're alright?" _she asked apprehensively. _"Well… then what's up? In case you didn't know it's… pretty late here in Radiant Garden, so…"_

"Oh! Sorry…" Sora scratched the back of his neck, flustered. "I guess I forgot that time works differently in every world. A-anyway, I wanted to show you something."

"_Oh? What is it?" _Kairi asked, finally taking on a small, curious smile.

"Close your eyes."

"_Sora…"_

"C'mon, you made me do it when you surprised me on my birthday," Sora countered with a knowing smirk.

"_Alright, fine_," Kairi relented with a faux exasperated grin.

From there, Sora carefully turned the phone around, making sure that Kairi would get the best view of the lanterns as she possibly could, even if the phone's camera itself could only offer a limited perspective. "Ok… you can open them."

Sora couldn't even try to hold back a smile upon hearing Kairi's awestruck gasp, one that reflected the delighted amazement her own expression conveyed upon seeing the thousands of shimmering lights hovering over the wide lake on her screen. _"Oh… they're so beautiful…" _she whispered, fascinated as she pulled the phone closer to her to try to get a better look. _"But I can't really see them that well like this. What are they?"_

"Lanterns," Sora explained, reaching up to retrieve a nearby lantern that was floating low overhead so he could properly show her one. "Every year, this world has this huge festival where they send _hundreds _of these things up into the sky! If only you could have been here earlier today, Kairi; there was food and dancing and all sorts of fun stuff. You would have loved it!"

"_I'm sure I would have," _Kairi chuckled, though she only barely left out the rest of what she really wanted to say: _especially if I was there with you, Sora._

"See, _this _is why you need to finish up your training already," Sora teased with a light smirk. "So you can finally come with us and be here for things like this."

"_Hey now! I'm training as fast as I possibly can," _Kairi let out an amused laugh. _"Either way, I'm really glad to see you're out there enjoying yourself, Sora. I know you're very busy looking for the Keys, but you definitely deserve a chance to take it easy and just have a little fun every now and then."_

"Uh… heh, yeah, I guess," Sora rebuffed with something of a halfhearted smile. He was quick to perk back up once more, however, upon taking another glance at the lantern in his hand and coming with a newfound idea as he did. "Hey, so… I know it's not really the same as you actually being here to do it yourself, but… how about I send one of these up for both of us?"

"_I'd love that," _Kairi nodded eagerly, even if a large part of her wished she _was _actually there for herself, with him, to treasure such a special moment together.

Sora wasted no time in handing the phone over to Goofy, who positioned it just right so Kairi could have a decent view of him and the lantern. He wasn't sure if there was anything in particular he was supposed to say in letting it fly, so instead he simply offered Kairi a bright smile as he carefully lifted the lantern up, allowing it to rise into the air on its own accord. As soon as it was airborne, Sora reclaimed the phone and pointed it in the direction the lantern was drifting to, allowing both of them to watch until it eventually disappeared into the seemingly endless collection of other golden lights around it.

"_That was wonderful," _Kairi let out a contented sigh as Sora turned the phone back around so she could face him. _"I don't know how, but… you almost made it feel like I'm actually right there with you. Thank you, Sora."_

Once again, Sora found himself completely helpless to hold back a wide, warm smile at this, one that largely reflected the very one Kairi was sending his way. For what seemed like ages, neither of them really even said anything at all, instead allowing themselves to soak in the blissful moment they were sharing together, even if they were physically worlds apart. Yet neither of them could deny their hearts felt much, much closer than that, almost as if there was no great span of distance to separate them at all.

And all the while, Sora strangely found himself relishing the newfound sense of pure, genuine _happiness _that had managed to find a place in his heart, happiness that had started as a spark earlier during the day's festivities, but had only grown into a vibrant, welcome glow from there, especially now, especially thanks to _her_. It was a feeling he hadn't really experienced in earnest like this in quite some time, and after having lost it for so long now, it was something he didn't want to slip away from him anytime soon.

He was just about to thank Kairi for her immense contribution for that sense of satisfaction, when suddenly the light of the lanterns around him seemed to amplify tenfold. Or rather, as the world itself was overtaken by a radiant golden aura that he'd grown quite used to finding himself within by now, just as much as he was used to the always questioning voice that rang out to his heart from within it.

"_Is there joy in your heart?" _

The question hardly surprised him, and he was certainly in no place to deny something that was so incredibly obvious at a jubilant moment like this. "Yes," he responded, letting out a small, buoyant laugh in spite of himself. "Yes, there is."

The Key that came to him in exchange for his honest answer felt light and natural in his grip, illuminating the same sort of brilliant aura each one always seemed to carry. Donald and Goofy gasped in awe alongside him at its sudden appearance, but for his part, Sora simply smiled at his newfound prize as he held it up for both of them to see.

"_Sora?" _Kairi cut in, curious and confused. _"What's going on?"_

"Well… I just got the next Key, actually," Sora pointed the phone at the aforementioned Key so she could have a look.

"_Really?!" _Kairi exclaimed with an excited grin. _"Sora, that's great! Congratulations!"_

"Yeah, uh… I-I actually think I owe finding this one to you, Kairi," he admitted, suddenly flustered even as he maintained his own easygoing smile.

"_Me? How?"_

"Uh…" Sora faltered somewhat, especially as he spotted the coy, knowing glances both Donald and Goofy were sending his way. "I-I'll, um… I'll tell you later, ok?"

"_Ok," _Kairi chuckled, largely understanding what he meant. _"Still, I'm glad I could help you find it. Hopefully it won't be too long before I'm actually _out _there searching for you with them myself."_

"I can't wait until you are," Sora said earnestly, knowing that the pure, perfect light her companionship always managed to bring was just the kind of steady comfort he longed to have on any occasion.

"_Neither can I," _Kairi soundly agreed as she let out a bit of a tired yawn. _"But for now, I should probably get back to sleep. I've got another long day of training ahead of me tomorrow."_

"Oh, right!" Sora exclaimed with something of an embarrassed smirk. "Sorry to wake you up so late."

"_Don't be," _Kairi kindly assured. _"You know you can talk to me any time about anything. I'll always be right here to listen."_

"Y-yeah… I know..." Sora's steady smile fell a bit upon hearing this, unable to shake the thought of all of the things he _hadn't _told her, things he _couldn't _tell her, at least not yet. If he could ever muster the courage to tell her at all. "Uh, t-thanks again for helping me get the Key. Good night, Kairi."

"_Good night, Sora,"_ Kairi bid him a fond, if not somewhat sleepy farewell just shy of hanging up. And as she did, Sora managed to regain his former smile in full as he let out a small, contented sigh while looking over the Key he'd just obtained, even if his thoughts weren't particularly focused on it. His attention was soon diverted away, however, as he happened to glance over at his companions, both of whom were still offering a set of wide, smug smirks after everything they'd just heard and seen.

"What are you guys looking at?" he asked them, raising a playfully suspicious eyebrow.

"Admit it," Donald goaded mischievously. "You _like _her…"

"Uh, y-yeah, of _course _I like her," Sora rebuffed defensively. "She _is _one of my best friends after all."

"Yep, a very _special _best friend," Goofy added with a wry chuckle.

"You might even say," Donald continued this round of good-natured teasing. "She's _more _than just a best friend, huh, Sora?"

"Oh! C-come on, you guys!" Sora retaliated by swinging the Key out at the lake before them, catching his companions in a sudden splash that did nothing to curtail the bout of hearty laughter they were both all but lost to. Still, for as flustered as he clearly was, he couldn't help but join in on that laughter eventually, still awash in that deep sense of quiet joy that had led him to this latest Key to begin with. Joy that was largely mutual between the trio as a whole in light of their most recent successful find.

"Well, we got ourselves another Key," Goofy noted once that bout of levity had ended. "Guess that means we can be on our way to the next world."

"Aw, do we really have to go so soon?" Sora asked in slight disappointment, knowing that it was a rare occasion for them to land in a world as seemingly peaceful as this.

"Yes," Donald affirmed as both him and Goofy rose to stand. "We still have plenty more Keys we need to find after all. And I bet the rest of them won't be as easy to track down as this one was."

"Well… I guess you're right about that…" Sora relented as he stood himself, letting the Key disappear out of his grip. "But, before we leave, can we at least go say goodbye to Rapunzel and Eugene? Who knows when the next time we'll be able to come back here will be?"

Donald and Goofy exchanged a brief glance at this, knowing that they couldn't really deny their young companion a request as simple as this, especially since both of them largely wanted to bid the couple a proper farewell too.

"Alright, let's go find them then," Donald sighed in faux exasperation. "And let's be quick about it too! Which means no getting sidetracked, _Sora_."

"C'mon, Donald, when do I ever get sidetracked?" Sora countered with an easy scoff as the trio began to make their way back into town.

"...You don't want me to answer that."

* * *

By now, Rapunzel had been kept waiting for quite some time, to the point that she'd stepped out of the canoe to try and peer past the rocks Eugene had disappeared behind some time ago. The lanterns had largely all gone out by now, leaving the shoreline steeped in misty darkness that carried a hint of an uneasy chill with it. Rapunzel exchanged another nervous glance with Pascal, but for the most part, both remained silent, hoping to hear Eugene's voice or footsteps sooner or later to signal his return. And eventually, Rapunzel did catch onto the soft sound of someone approaching, a figure making their way toward her from the far end of the shore as the shadowy mist largely concealed their appearance. Yet even so, she couldn't help but let out a small, hopeful sigh all the same when she saw them.

"T-there you are," she smiled, releasing her tight hold on the canoe's bow. "I was… starting to think that you ran off with the crown and left me…"

"He _did_."

Rapunzel's relief was immediately shattered at this, especially as the silhouette stepping out of the mist soon became clearer to the point that she could finally make out the unsettlingly familiar black coat he was wearing. "Y-you again…" Rapunzel shuddered, taking a defensive step back before Marluxia could get any closer. "You… you're wrong. Eugene wouldn't-"

"He would and he has," Marluxia interrupted, motioning out toward the lake with a cool smile. "See for yourself."

Hesitantly, Rapunzel glanced toward the lake, only to see a single sailboat gliding across its surface, one that had only just departed from that very shore. And as she managed to get a closer look, she noticed its lone occupant, her heart practically being torn in two with disbelief and grief at the mere sight of him. "E-Eugene?" she wavered, stepping out toward the shallows of the lake in the hopes that he'd hear her. "Eugene!"

Despite her desperate cries, he didn't seem to hear her, or if he did, he didn't seem to care. He made no effort to turn toward her, his hands gripping the wheel of his boat as he steadily steered it away from her. Away from the happy life she had once thought they could have had together.

"Forget Flynn Rider," Marluxia said from somewhere behind her, his tone cold and condescending. "You know where you belong, and it's not with him. Now…"

Rapunzel seized up in fear as a pair of particularly large, blade wielding creatures, Nobodies to be precise, materialized out of thin air before her. With her hair as securely tied up as it was and her frying pan nowhere to be found, she knew she'd be hard pressed to fight them as she instead turned to confront the man in charge of them as brazenly as she possibly could. "W-why are you doing this?" she asked, eying him warily. "What do you want with me?"

"It's not what I want with _you_," Marluxia grinned as his Nobodies drifted in a bit too close for Rapunzel's comfort. "It's _who _you can help me get to…"

Rapunzel jolted, instantly recalling a very pertinent, distressing conversation she'd been a part of the previous night. One that had helped her learn more about exactly what, or _who _this dangerous man and his equally dangerous Organization were after. "Sora…" she whispered fearfully, though she soon forced that fear to become ferocity instead. "I-I'm not going to let you hurt him!"

"He's not the one you should be worried about…" Marluxia dryly mused, nodding back to his pair of Nobodies. Rapunzel only barely managed to dodge out of the path of one of their heavy blades, prompting her to flee, not just for her own life, but in the hopes of finding Sora and warning him of Marluxia's schemes before it was too late. She didn't make it very far down the shore, however, before her lengthy braid happened to snag upon a heavy log, pulling her back in the process. Panicking, she struggled to pull her hair free, hoping that the Nobodies wouldn't catch up with her and knowing that they easily could. Until…

A sudden heavy clamor echoed from where she'd just run from. A din that was followed by an immensely concerned call she couldn't have possibly mistaken anywhere. "Rapunzel!?"

"M-Mother…?" she whispered tentatively. Carefully, she pulled her hair free and skirted back around the bend, only to sure enough, find her mother, a heavy stick in hand as she stood between the pair of now-defeated Nobodies just as they began to vanish into thin air.

"Oh! My precious girl!" Gothel cried in sheer relief upon spotting her flower.

"M-Mother!" Overwhelmed with far too many emotions to count, Rapunzel didn't hesitate to rush toward her mother's open arms, falling into her familiar embrace in the hopes that it could somehow heal her aching heart.

"Are you all right?" Gothel fretfully checked over her. "Are you hurt?"

Rapunzel shook her head, still rather shellshocked from the daunting danger she'd just been in. "I… H-how did you-"

"I was so worried about you, dear," Gothel explained, gripping her shoulders protectively. "So I followed you. And I saw them attack you and-" She cut herself off, locking Rapunzel into another tight, secure embrace instead.

"B-but I don't understand," Rapunzel pulled back a bit, bewildered as she looked around. "W-where did that guy in the black coat go?"

"It's hard to say," Gothel said quickly, her tone tense as she began to pull Rapunzel along after her. "But let's hurry, before he has a chance to return."

"B-but, wait," Rapunzel hung back anxiously. "Mother, I think one of my friends is in trouble. I need to find him and warn him about-"

"Rapunzel, please," Gothel interjected impatiently. "It's far too dangerous for you to remain out here any longer, as if you couldn't already tell. We need to get you home where you'll be safe, _now_."

"B-but, my friend-"

"Can take care of himself, I'm sure," Gothel concluded staunchly. "Now, come along. And hurry, child! We haven't a moment to lose."

"But…" Rapunzel's final protest trailed off, hoping that her mother was right and that Sora really did have the means to defend himself from whatever Marluxia was planning. Yet even so, she found herself hesitating to follow Gothel's lead, especially as she looked back toward the lake. Specifically, toward the boat she knew Eugene was on, perhaps the last glimpse she'd ever get of him at all.

He'd left her, just as her mother had said he would, and yet… a part of her still wondered what might have been if he hadn't. If he had stayed, if he had come back. If the two of them could have begun an entirely new dream together.

But as it stood, that was a dream Rapunzel knew would never have a chance at coming true now… or ever.

Tears were in her eyes as she slowly turned back to her mother, who stood waiting, lantern in hand, at the edge of the nearby forest, ready to guide her back home. Ready to lead her back to the isolated, lonely, ultimately empty tower she'd always known, tucked far away from the big, beautiful world she'd only now had the chance to fall in love with. Safe… yet hardly satisfied after everything she'd learned and seen.

Yet there was something else her mother was offering her too as she opened her arms out wide to receive her once more. She was offering an escape, a chance to live a simple, easy life, bereft of anything even remotely similar to the anguish she was feeling now. It would take some time, she knew, but perhaps she could learn to forget about this grief, forget about this loss, maybe… even forget about _him_. And maybe someday, she could manage to convince herself to be happy again.

Even if she knew that happiness could only ever be a facade from here on out.

All the same, she wept openly as she ran to her mother,, letting the familiarity of her comforting embrace wash over her as she sobbed into her arms. "Y-you were right, Mother…" she whispered mournfully as Gothel began to lead her down the long trek back toward the tower. "You were right about everything…"

Of course, what Rapunzel didn't know as she solemnly followed her mother, what she couldn't have possibly known, was that Eugene's supposed departure was really just a set-up, a trick designed specifically to trap them both. To keep them both apart and imprisoned in different, yet equally awful kinds of ways. And yet, they weren't the only two set to fall into such a twisted sort of trap, as Marluxia continued to stand by, waiting in the shadows for the right time to launch another sinister snare all his own.

* * *

"Look, all we're sayin' is, you said these Keys show up whenever you feel a certain strong emotion in whatever world we're in," Goofy rationalized with a bit of a playful smile as him and Donald followed Sora's lead down the lake shore.

"And we both know Kairi can bring out some pretty _strong _emotions in you," Donald added just as teasingly.

"Uh huh," Sora rolled his eyes, though he was grinning all the while. "Do you guys actually have a point with all this?"

"We sure do," Goofy nodded. "It's a pretty easy point to come to too; if talkin' to Kairi helped you get this world's Key-"

"Then maybe the emotion that brought it out was..." Donald continued every bit as leadingly before Goofy joined him in their final eager verdict.

"Love!"

"Mm… good guess," Sora smirked, glancing over his shoulder at the pair. "But you're a little off the mark; this world's Key was all about joy, not love. Sorry."

"So?" Donald rebuffed stubbornly. "That doesn't prove that you're _not _in love with her!"

"Doesn't prove that I _am _either," Sora countered as smoothly as he could, even though he was trying his best to suppress a flustered blush all the while. He could tell Donald and Goofy were more than ready to keep this insincere debate going, yet he stopped short before they could as he happened to notice two figures walking toward the woods afar in the distance. One of whom just so happened to have several unmistakable feet of long, golden hair running down her back. "Hey, isn't that Rapunzel?" he asked, diverting his companions' attention that way.

"Sure looks like it," Goofy agreed. "But Eugene doesn't seem to be with her…"

"It looks like her mother is instead," Donald noted, barely making out the cloaked figure walking alongside her.

"Hm…" Sora frowned, immediately troubled by the recollection of the distrustful, almost downright _dark _aura he'd sensed from Rapunzel's mother during their brief encounter the previous night. "I don't like the looks of this…" he stepped forward a bit, plenty of questions on his mind that he hoped Rapunzel could make some sense of for him. "Hey! Rapun-"

He was abruptly interrupted, however, by the sudden appearance of a dark portal just a few feet away. "Show some decorum," Marluxia advised with his usual calm smile as he emerged from this darkness. "The girl has found her dear mother. You should let them be."

"I have a better idea," Sora countered crossly as he, Donald, and Goofy took up offensive stances against their foe. "Why don't _you _leave us be instead?"

"Oh, I intend to do exactly that," Marluxia nodded. "Just as soon as I get what I was sent to this world to retrieve." His icy, yet malicious smile deepened as he extended an open hand out toward the trio, or more specifically, toward Sora. "I'll take that Key you found. Along with the long-awaited acceptance of your inevitable role as the Organization's thirteenth vessel."

Sora faltered, but only briefly at this appeal, knowing that he couldn't afford to lose his nerve against such threats, not now and not ever again. No matter how true they might actually be. "A-and what makes you think I'd just give up that easily, huh?" he asked, the Kingdom Key taking up its usual spot in his hand as he offered his foe a resilient glare.

"Because," Marluxia said, still hardly phased by Sora's show of brazenness. "This… negotiation can go one of two ways; the easy way where you surrender yourself and that Key and we'll be on our way. Or… the hard way."

"...What's the hard way?" Sora asked, an intentional air of challenge in his tone.

"I don't think you'd like to find out."

"I think we _would_," Sora countered sternly, and by now Donald and Goofy had called upon their own weapons alongside him. Certainly, between the three of them, they'd be able to handle whatever attack or swarm of Heartless or Nobodies Marluxia might send their way just fine. The only problem was, that wasn't exactly what the Organization member had in mind.

"Hmph, I just knew you would go and make a scene," Marluxia sneered haughty. "Very well. I suppose we'll be doing this the hard way. Which means… it's lights out for you."

With this, Marluxia suddenly lashed out, a strange wave of unknown magic launching from his outstretched hand. That magic targeted Sora alone, striking him soft yet brutally all at once and the effect it had on him was immediate. Exhaustion, so immense and heavy it was like a sudden weight around his neck, instantly began dragging him down, his eyes heavy and the rest of his body feeling even heavier as his thoughts seemed to grow completely numb and distant. He only barely heard Donald and Goofy's shared cry of alarm for him as his Keyblade slipped out of his hand, his vision blurring as he struggled, practically _fought _just to remain conscious. But it was ultimately a battle he had no hope of winning as he slowly collapsed to the ground. And the last thing he heard was a final triumphant statement from Marluxia just as he was ultimately lost to the dark void of this forceful, uncertain slumber altogether.

"You always _were _such a sound sleeper…"

* * *

For their part, Donald and Goofy were panicking before Sora even fully fell to the ground. Their reactions were stark, yet completely contrasting from the very start; Goofy remained by Sora's side, already trying his best to rouse him and wake him up, yet his attempts were to no avail. Donald on the other hand, was _furious_, and didn't hesitate to show it as he rushed forward, his wand raised and ready to attack Marluxia out of sheer, infuriated retaliation. He was more than ready for such retaliation, however, as he called upon a plentiful horde of powerful Nobodies to confront them in his stead.

"The two of you have kept Sora from achieving his true potential far too many times now," Marluxia remarked darkly as his pack of Nobodies launched their first wave of attacks. "You're both only obstacles along the path that will lead him to where he truly belongs."

"You mean the path _you _want to put him on!" Donald accused, fiercely casting a powerful fire spell to take out several of the smaller Nobodies.

"And that's a path that Sora's _not _gonna take, no matter how much you try to force him to!" Goofy added just as brazenly, upholding his shield in a defensive stance before Sora's still listless form.

Yet despite their shared determination and verve, Marluxia simply responded to their resolve with a quiet, yet mocking laugh. "He really has convinced you to believe his endless string of lies, hasn't he?" he asked, sparing a brief glance down at Sora. "How sad. Perhaps if he actually trusted either of you, he might have told you."

"...Told us what?" Donald asked, aptly wary.

"That he _knows _without a shadow of a doubt that he's already well on his way to becoming the missing piece the Organization needs," Marluxia said, his sinister satisfaction over this claim quite clear. "In fact, he's known the truth of what's been happening to his heart for quite some time. And all the while he's been purposefully, _intentionally _hiding that truth from both of you, his closest companions. Then again, if either of you _actually _cared for his wellbeing, you might have seen through his lies from the very start."

"We _do _care about him!" Donald protested, absolutely livid as he took on another round of Nobodies with as much firepower as possible.

"A-and Sora wouldn't lie to us, not about something like this!" Goofy asserted as he blocked off a sudden attack by a Nobody that had slipped past Donald in the fray. "He promised us he wouldn't!"

"That 'promise' was just another one of his countless lies," Marluxia said dismissively. "Anything to make sure his abundant secrets remain exactly that." At this, he summoned a dark corridor, apparently in the guise of leaving altogether, even as more Nobodies continued to show up in his wake. Donald and Goofy continued fending the creatures off, largely for the sake of protecting Sora when he largely couldn't. Yet as distracted with the barrage of Nobodies as they were, both of them failed to see another shadowy portal appear on the other side of the shore behind them. And they didn't even notice Marluxia reemerging from that portal to approach Sora-who was still completely out of it thanks to his mysterious magic-until it was far too late for either of them to stop what was about to happen.

"But worry not," he spoke up to catch the pair's attention. They both turned to find a sight that practically scared both of them stiff; Marluxia had easily hoisted Sora over his shoulder, his dark corridor lingering right behind them to give him an easy getaway with his easily-claimed newfound captive on hand. "The burden of his safe-keeping is no longer yours to bear." Marluxia's consistently calculated smirk deepened as he turned toward the dark portal and began to carry Sora away into it. "It's _ours_, and I can assure you we'll take _exceptional _care of him…"

"No!" Donald and Goofy cried in frantic unison, leaving the Nobodies behind as they raced forward in a desperate attempt to stop him. Yet despite their best efforts, from shield tossing to spell casting, they were ultimately unable to keep Marluxia from stepping into the dark corridor with Sora in tow. Unable to do anything but helplessly, _painfully _watch as their newfound worst nightmare came true once more, as Sora was stolen away from them by someone who only wanted to bring him untold harm all over again.

* * *

"There," Gothel grinned as she finished plucking the last of the flowers out of Rapunzels' hair. "Like it never happened."

Rapunzel said nothing, her expression downcast and despondent as she sat on the edge of her bed, even despite her mother's chipper tune. The entire trip back to the tower had been an agonizing one for her, filled with plenty of grief and tears that she couldn't quite shake, no matter how much Gothel had convinced her to try. Because every time she so much as thought about Eugene, about how practically _perfect _things had felt between them only a few short hours ago, a newfound burst of pain would always ring through her already anguished heart. Pain over what she thought she once could have had, but would never get to experience again.

"I really did try, Rapunzel," Gothel said with a sympathetic sigh as she lingered for a beat in the doorway. "I tried to warn you what was out there. The world is dark, selfish, and cruel. If it finds even the slightest ray of sunshine, it _destroys _it."

With that, Gothel left her alone to mourn in silent solitude. Slowly, Rapunzel opened her enclosed hands up to look at the sole souvenir she'd managed to save from the festival, a miniature Corona flag Eugene had bought for her, emblazoned with the kingdom's signature sun emblem. With a small, sad sigh, she lay back onto her bed, clutching the flag close to her chest, the last remaining remnant, a bittersweet momento of her first, and likely only time out of the tower.

And yet, as she opened her eyes to stare up at the countless paintings adorning her ceiling, she couldn't help but notice something among them. She knew each of those paintings well, after all, they had all been carefully crafted by her very own hands over the years. But now, as she looked between them and the flag in her hands, she couldn't help but spot a puzzling similarity between them. Because scattered there, hidden well among the art she'd been creating since she could pick up a paintbrush, was the _sun_, the very same sun on Corona's very own flag. It existed in several subliminal spots, in flowers and leaves and in spaces between birds and animals, and even on a few of her own playful self portraits, but they were all the same. Hundreds upon hundreds of suns, identical to the symbol that represented Corona, a symbol she knew, one she'd seen even before her trip outside the tower, somewhere in the back of her mind, like a long-forgotten, faded memory.

Her eyes were wide as she practically leapt off the bed, her jaw dropped in shock as that memory finally made itself apparent. The mural she'd seen at the festival, the king and queen depicted upon it, the baby girl, the _princess _they held in their arms. But most of all, the _crown_, the one that had been in Eugene's satchel that she had curiously tried on when he'd first barged into her tower. A crown that looked so right, so natural, so _familiar _on her, that there was no doubt, it _had _to be hers', which meant…

She gasped, stunned by this revelation as she stumbled back into her nearby vanity. The sudden clamor alerted Gothel almost instantly from downstairs as she called up to her, though that call was only barely heard amidst the sound of her own heartbeat practically pounding in her ears. "Rapunzel? What's going on up there?"

Her breathing was tense and shallow, the shock of it all rolling over her in heavy, daunting waves. It was only as she managed to emerge from her bedroom to meet Gothel's confused, concerned approach that she somehow found the words to voice what she now knew was the truth. "I… I'm the lost princess…" she muttered, still scarcely believing it herself.

"Ugh, please speak up, Rapunzel," Gothel scowled, annoyed. "You know how I hate the mumbling."

"I _am _the lost princess, aren't I?" Rapunzel repeated louder, hardening her expression as she offered her "mother" a distrustful glare. Gothel's alarmed expression alone was enough to tell her that she was absolutely right on the mark, that everything she'd ever thought she knew had been nothing more than a series of endless lies. "Did I mumble, _Mother_? Or should I even call you that?"

Despite her initial shock, Gothel was quick to recover from it with a harsh, forced chuckle. "Oh, Rapunzel, do you even hear yourself? Why would you ask such a ridiculous question?"

"It was _you_!" Rapunzel roughly shoved her away before she could lock her in another placating embrace. "It was all you!"

Gothel's fake smile turned into a stern, icy glower at this, her tone every bit as chilling to match. "Everything I did was to protect you."

Disgusted by such a dishonest claim, Rapunzel pushed Gothel aside once more, storming down the stairs as the full weight of what this woman had done to her her entire life completely sank in. "I've spent my entire life hiding from people who would use me for my power-"

"Rapunzel!" Gothel shouted fiercely as she hurried after her.

"When I should have been hiding from _you_!"

"Where will you go?" Gothel countered bitterly. "He won't be there for you."

"W-what did you do to him?" Rapunzel dared to ask, knowing that Eugene "leaving" her certainly hadn't been what it seemed. At least not in light of what she knew now.

Gothel smirked, a twisted, sadistic expression that sent chills down Rapunzel's spine. "That criminal is to be hanged for his crimes," she said simply, smugly, even.

"N-no…" Rapunzel gasped, fear gripping her heart like a vice, especially as Gothel continued to approach her.

"Now, now, it's all right," she assured in a sickly sweet soothing voice. "Listen to me. All of this is as it should be…"

"No!" Rapunzel adamantly protested, catching Gothel's hand just before it could reach in to touch her coveted hair once again. "You were wrong about the world. And you were wrong about _me_! And I will _never _let you use my hair again!"

Gothel shouted furiously as she ripped her arm out of Rapunzel's steady hold, stumbling back into the nearby mirror, which tipped over and completely shattered on the ground behind her. Even so, Rapunzel stood her ground, refusing to let this wicked woman manipulate her any more than she already had for the past 18 years of her life. Because as far as she was concerned, she was going to leave this tower and _never _come back. She was going to find Sora, Donald, and Goofy and recruit their help in rescuing Eugene from his grisly fate. And she was going to finally meet her _real _family, a family that was bound to love her and care for her far more than Gothel had ever falsely claimed to.

And yet, Gothel had much _different _plans in mind. "You want me to be the bad guy…?" she hissed, ready to do whatever she had to to keep both her flower and her youth exactly where she wanted them. "Fine. Now _I'm _the bad guy…"

* * *

The fact that Donald and Goofy had found themselves in a daunting situation identical to this once before was bad enough, but twice was almost more than either of them could bear. And while they'd been immensely distraught the first time around, now they were completely beside themselves with fear and disarray, especially in light of what had ended up happening to Sora the last time he was apprehended by one of their foes. They'd only just ousted the last of the Nobodies Marluxia had left behind to keep them busy while he made his escape, and even as the immediate threat disappeared from the lake shore, there was hardly any sense of calm between the duo in the aftermath of what they'd just lost.

"AUGH!" Donald's loud, outraged shout echoed across the lake along with the heavy lightning spell he haphazardly cast to accompany his unbridled fury. "I can't believe this! Sora got captured _again _and we just let it happen! _AGAIN_! Why didn't we see this coming?! It was such an obvious trap, we should have _known _what he was planning from the very start and-"

"M-maybe…" Goofy suddenly spoke up, his tone and expression both dejected and forlorn. As opposed to Donald's heated anger, the captain was awash in grief and guilt, his hat in his hands as he tried his best to hold back his pressing tears. "Maybe Marluxia was right… maybe we're _not _cut out to take care of Sora after all…"

"What, so you're saying the Organization _is_?!" Donald shot back harshly.

"N-no, of course not! But…" Goofy sighed remorsefully. "This is twice now we weren't able to protect him… We're supposed to keep him safe, Donald, that's our _job_. And… w-we keep failing at that job. We keep failing _Sora_. No wonder he doesn't trust us anymore… With how things have been going, he has every reason _not _to…"

Donald stilled somewhat at this, realizing just how _right _Goofy actually was. Because how could either of them claim to be remotely adequate companions, caretakers, _friends _to Sora after proving to be powerless to keep him from being taken away from them not once, but _twice _now? Yet even despite both of those horrific occasions, that didn't mean now was the time to give up and let it happen, especially since they hadn't before. "We haven't failed him yet," Donald concluded sternly as he began to lead the way onward. "Come on, Goofy. It's time to go."

"G-go where?" Goofy asked fretfully. "We don't even know where Marluxia might have taken him. They could be _worlds _away by now!"

"W-we'll figure something out!" Donald huffed indignantly. "If worse comes to worse, we can always go get Kairi and see if she can find him like she did last time. But we _can't _just let the Organization have him, not when we _know _what they want to do with him."

"...Do ya think it could actually be true, Donald?" Goofy asked after a beat of hesitant silence. "Do you think Sora really _has _been lying to us all this time about… y-you know…?"

For what seemed like ages, Donald had no real response to such a question, largely since the mere thought alone added an entirely new distressing layer on top of everything else they were already facing. When he did answer, however, his tone was stiff and rigid for the sake of not conveying his fear that it actually was true after all. "It doesn't matter if it is or not," he said simply as he continued on toward the forest. "He still needs our help."

Goofy solemnly agreed with this as he readily followed Donald's lead, though before the pair could make it too far in their endeavor to leave this world behind, they were caught off guard by the sudden noisy clamor coming from the kingdom's bridge behind them. Startled, they both turned to find a familiar white steed galloping across it, bearing a rider who was only barely managing to fend off the horde of Nobodies tailing him.

"Eugene!" they both called from their spot on the shore. As soon as he noticed the pair, he didn't hesitate to prompt Maximus to race toward them, hoping that they could take care of the flock of Nobodies besetting him, which they quickly did.

By the time Donald and Goofy were finishing up the last of the creatures, Eugene had pulled Maximus to a stop behind them, giving the horse a much-needed breather after the hectic escape they'd just pulled off. Briefly, he checked back toward the kingdom to make sure no guards were pursuing them, but he assumed they'd be kept quite busy with the remaining monsters that had been causing chaos in the dungeons he'd only narrowly managed to break out of.

"Donald! Goofy!" he called to the pair as soon as the last few Nobodies were gone. "Boy, am I glad to see you two. Wait," he stopped short, glancing around the surrounding area. "Where's Sora?"

The pair exchanged a nervous glance at this before they both blurted out the terrible truth at the exact same time. "He was captured!"

"What?!" Eugene exclaimed incredulously.

"That Marluxia fella made off with him just a little while ago," Goofy explained as quickly as he could.

"Which means Goofy and I need to leave _now _so we can find-"

"Donald, wait," Goofy stopped the magician short on a newfound bout of realization. "If Nobodies are still roaming around this world," he whispered so only Donald could properly hear him. "Then maybe that means _Marluxia _is too."

Donald balked at this, grasping onto this ray of hope, however small, for everything it was worth. "You think…?"

"Uh, hey, fellas?" Eugene interrupted, his tone and expression both rather urgent. "I'm willing to do whatever I can to help you guys look for Sora, but I don't think he's the only one in trouble here. Rapunzel-"

"Oh yeah!" Goofy cut in. "We saw Rapunzel earlier; it looked like her mother was takin' her back to the tower."

"That's right," Eugene nodded gravely, remembering what he'd heard from his former partners in crime during his brief stint in prison. "And two little birdies told me that her 'mother' just so happens to be in league with a certain pink-haired, black-coated friend of ours."

"Rapunzel's mother is working with Marluxia?" Donald asked, baffled. "But why?"

"Hard to say," Eugene shrugged. "But if they have teamed up, then I have a hunch that there's a good chance that we might just find both Rapunzel and Sora in the exact same place."

"The tower!"

"Exactly," Eugene nodded, determined to get there as quickly as possible. "This calls for a rescue mission. Are you guys with me?"

"Of course!" Donald and Goofy immediately agreed, wasting no time in joining Eugene atop Maximus' back. The horse nearly wavered under the combined weight of all three of them, but even so he stood fast, understanding just how important their mutual mission was as he quickly carried them down the path that led to the tower as fast as his hooves could carry him. And all the while, Eugene, and Donald and Goofy alike all shared largely the same exact noble resolve: to rescue both Sora and Rapunzel alike from those who sought to use them for their own twisted ends, before it was too late.

* * *

When Sora opened his eyes, he found himself within a space that had made an appearance in his dreams, or rather _nightmares _once before: a round wide room adorned with thirteen opulent, towering thrones on all sides. However, this time Sora realized he was actually sitting in one of those thrones, the lowest one among them, and that no matter how much he tried to rise from it, his body strangely refused to move in the slightest. And while his sudden loss of autonomy was more than enough to spike an all-too familiar kind of panic in his mind and heart alike, that panic practically skyrocketed as he noticed what he was wearing: one of the telltale black coats of Organization XIII.

His breathing hitched, his body still mostly forcefully unmoving as he managed to steal an anxious glance up at the other thrones around him. Each of them were occupied by the similarly clad members of the Organization, their identities all concealed by the shadowy hoods covering their heads. They all had their hidden gazes focused down at Sora, yet none of them said a single word, instead only watching ominously and intently as his throne abruptly began to rise into the air from its spot close to the ground.

By now, Sora's thoughts were running rampant with terror and distress that he wasn't even able to voice, even as he hectically tried to remember what had happened, how he got here, what was happening and why. Yet those frantic thoughts all came to a grinding halt along with the throne he was on as it stopped high above the others, to the point that it was directly across another one of the seats in particular. Upon which happened to sit the very leader of the Organization himself.

"M-Master…" Sora said before he could even try to stop himself, the very word starkly startling him as it unintentionally left his mouth.

"Hello again, Sora," Xehanort offered his newest vessel a cordial grin. "It's good to see that you're progressing quite nicely. After you manage to remove the three excess hearts from your own-which I know you will soon enough-I can't imagine that it will be too much longer before your transformation into our thirteenth vessel will finally be complete. And once it is, then the long awaited clash between darkness and light can at last come to be!"

At this, Sora was overwhelmed by a particularly heavy wave of anguish that targeted his heart above all else. It was a tactic he was far too familiar with by this point, yet one that always seemed to wear him down with just how _raw _and unbearable it always proved to be. But in light of just how much of that pain and fear the elderly master had already put him through, it wasn't something Sora was about to bend to now or, at least as far as he was concerned, ever. "N-no…" he said, struggling against the oppressive silence Xehanort was clearly forcing upon him.

"No?" the master raised a curious eyebrow, still smiling confidently all the while.

"_No_," Sora repeated, his tone much firmer and resolved as he offered Xehanort a bold, defiant glare. "M-my heart's stronger than you think it is. Y-you can go ahead and do whatever you want to it; you can even do your absolute _worst_. But I'm _not _going to let you use me to hurt my friends!" By now, he'd finally managed to regain his lost ability to move and he took advantage of the opportunity to rise up and stand atop the throne he'd been forced into, his Keyblade flashing into his hand as he pointed it directly at the elderly master without a single shred of fear or hesitation. "I don't care how hard it might be, I'm going to keep on fighting this, fighting _you_ until I find a way to stop it once and for all!"

As his courageous proclamation echoed through the hall, Xehanort said nothing to it for quite some time. When he did respond to it however, his former smile was gone, replaced with a displeased scowl as he also stood upon his throne. "I see," he said, his tone surprisingly calm and calculated. "There's still much you don't understand, it seems. Very well." At this, Xehanort called upon his own Keyblade, devastating dark energy radiating across its entire surface. "You shall learn respect for your master and your Organization… and _suffering _will be your teacher!"

Before Sora even had a chance to react, Xehanort swung his Keyblade out wide, the darkness surrounding it unleashed as it flew toward him in a heavy, powerful wave. It struck him squarely in the chest, knocking him backward off of the throne in the process, and as he fell, the white room soon gave way to a void of thick, inky darkness instead. Sora landed hard at the unintelligible bottom of that seemingly endless void, and while pain still rippled sharply throughout his heart, he forced himself to stand amidst it, knowing well that Xehanort likely wasn't finished with him yet.

"Tell me, Sora," the elderly master asked from somewhere behind him. Sora didn't hesitate to spin around to face him, still gripping his Keyblade tightly as he took up a defensive stance, even if the steadiness of that stance did waver as Xehanort continued to approach him. "Why are you so intent on hiding the truth of your… condition from your so-called 'friends'?" Sora didn't answer, completely on his own volition and refusal to reveal such vulnerability to his enemy. Unfortunately, Xehanort was well equipped with a way to force him to make that vulnerability known regardless. "Well?" he asked expectantly, pushing his oppressive power upon Sora's heart until he could literally remain silent no longer.

"B-because…" he choked, his voice tight and weak amidst the agony that was forcing the truth out of him. Tears were just starting to well up in his eyes in light of that agony, as well as the real reason why he'd kept what he had been going through hidden from the others for such a long time now. "I… I'm scared…"

"Scared?" Xehanort repeated with a broad, knowing grin as he began to circle his shaken vessel as though he was his prey. Which was certainly comparable to how Sora felt at the moment, at least. "And what would the brave young hero of the Keyblade have to be _scared _of? Perhaps… you're scared of what _they _might think of you if they knew what you were becoming?"

Sora gasped as he glanced up, only to see a familiar crowd standing within the darkness before him. While some of the figures standing among that crowd were obscured by shadow, a handful of them were perfectly clear. In particular, he spotted Donald and Goofy, both of whom looked to him with wide-eyed, genuine _fear_. Fear that was only rivaled by the absolute unbridled anger, _hatred _even, that Riku and Kairi were sending his way just through their intense, bitter expressions alone.

Sora stumbled back, narrowly suppressing a sharp, heartbroken sob as he forced himself to look away from the disdainful stares his friends were holding him under. Even so, Xehanort managed to find yet another cruel way to twist the knife of his sadistic scheme even deeper within his hapless vessel's heart. "Or… maybe what you're _truly _afraid of is facing the truth for yourself…"

When Sora dared to look up once more, the group that had stood before him was gone, instead replaced by what seemed to be his own mirror reflection standing before him. He was still clad in that horrendous black coat, but other than that, he still looked like himself. At least until Xehanort cast his twisted pall of darkened malice over his heart once more. "The harsh purity of the light often outshines what _should _be plain to see," the elderly master continued as evenly as ever. "But under the cover of darkness, nothing can ever really hide. Search long enough, and soon you'll find that in that darkness… all is revealed."

Sora froze, horrified as he watched more and more wisps of white overtake the chestnut brown of his hair to the point that there was so much of it he couldn't hope to hide it anymore. To make matters worse, the gold that had only started sparking in his eyes was practically _glowing _now, nearly eclipsing any hints of natural blue that still remained in them completely. The sight of his mere reflection looking so mismatched, so wrong, so very much _unlike _him was more than he could take, just as it had been that awful night weeks ago back in Radiant Garden. Only this time, he had his Keyblade on hand to shatter the illusion standing before him completely.

And yet, the moment the tip of his Keyblade crashed into his supposed "reflection", _he _was the one to feel the incredible sting of the blow instead. His vision violently flashed and when it cleared, his reflection was gone… and the Kingdom Key had somehow been directly stabbed clean through his own chest in place of his mirror image's.

He seized up in pain that was far more unspeakable than any he had ever experienced in his entire life, his body frozen and his mouth hanging open in an anguished scream that refused to come out. And all the while, his own Keyblade continued to pierce his heart, a grave and fatal wound that he had no power to free himself from. Just as he had no power to free himself from the frightening fate he knew would eventually consume every part of him: body, mind, and heart alike.

"Beware, my young vessel," Xehanort warned softly, patronizingly as that wound began to take its agonizing toll on him, flooding his vision with even more inescapable darkness as pain continued to pull him under. "For if you're not careful, you may end up destroying _yourself _far before we get the chance to…"

* * *

The next time Sora managed to ease his way back into consciousness, he did so slowly, immediately realizing that his Keyblade was no longer running him through as it had been before. In fact, his heart was strangely free from the agony that had been searing through it mere moments ago, further evidence that whatever he'd just been put through at Xehanort's hands had fortunately been nothing more than a horrific nightmare. And yet, as he was about to find out, he had been thrust out of one nightmare, only to be thrown into a completely new one instead.

Because as Sora gradually came to open his eyes, there were several things he became acutely aware of all at once. The first was the room he now found himself lying in, a well-lived in place only dimly lit by the overcast skies outside its only window on the far side of it. More alarming than that was that something seemed to be tightly covering his mouth, a gag of some sorts, though how it got there, he had no idea. But by far the most frightening part of all were the cold metal bands secured around both of his wrists, tightly locking them into place behind him and keeping him tethered to a nearby wall by _chains _of all things. And as he heard those chains rattle dully behind him, his mind was thrown into an instant, immediate, incredible _panic_.

It was happening again; it _couldn't _be happening again, but it _was_. He was chained, locked up, restrained, _trapped _all over again, just like he had been before, just like he'd hoped to _never _be again. His breathing picked up underneath his heavy gag as he frantically sat up, wasting no time in feverishly pulling against the chains holding him back in a desperate attempt to escape them. His heart was racing just as fast as his mind was, his chest tense and tight as he struggled against the binds keeping him held tight. Amidst his panic, he didn't even think about summoning his Keyblade to try to unlock his shackles; instead, his most basic, anxious instincts took over, a muffled scream escaping him as hot tears began to well up in his eyes. In fact, the only thing that managed to break through his distraught round of hysterical sobs was a soft, obscured sound of confused concern coming from not too far away from him.

Tears were still brimming in Sora's eyes as he glanced up to see none other than Rapunzel, bound and gagged almost exactly as he had been, sitting on the floor a few feet away. Her eyes were awash in immense worry for him and the clearly terror-stricken state he was in, her expression conveying countless questions she couldn't ask and he couldn't answer in their current mutual state of misfortune. Yet for as bewildering and disconcerting as their shared captivity was, the ones who were behind it soon became clear as they both happened to catch onto a hushed conversation, or rather an argument, going on within the shadows on the far side of the tower.

"Well, clearly you've gotten what you wanted," Gothel remarked with a flippant, impatient scowl. "And so have I. Which means our little… 'collaboration' has reached its end. So that begs the question, why are you still here?"

"Because our 'partnership' isn't quite over yet," Marluxia said, glancing over his shoulder to set his gaze on Sora in particular. "Not when there's still something to be gained from it."

Gothel watched in disgruntled confusion as Marluxia began to make his way over to his own captive, eventually coming to stand between him and Rapunzel. "I'm pleased to see you've awakened," he said to Sora, who tried glaring up at him with as much brazen defiance as he could possibly manage. Which, given his current terrible position, wasn't really much at all. "I've received word from our master that you require a lesson in… obedience before you can properly take your place within our ranks. So allow me to make this quick and simple." A large, sharp scythe appeared in Marluxia's outstretched hand, one that he wasted no time in pointing directly at Rapunzel, much to her and Sora's mutual alarm. Likewise, Gothel let out a shocked gasp, appalled by the sudden threat on her flower's life as she rushed forward to try and stop it.

"What is the meaning of this?!" she asked hotly, only to be forced to come to a stop by the threatening crowd of Nobodies that materialized between her and Rapunzel. "Get that weapon away from her _immediately_! This is _not _what we agreed to!"

"Agreements are often prone to change," Marluxia retorted dryly, unconcerned as he kept his scythe trained on Rapunzel, who did her best to shy away from it with what little range of motion she currently had. "Besides, no harm will come to Rapunzel. At least…" He grinned down at his own nervous captive at this. "As long as you're willing to offer your compliance in exchange for her safety, Sora."

Sora shuddered at this, his focus settled on Rapunzel alone as she anxiously eyed the weapon threatening her very life. Marluxia had its deadly tip aimed directly at her neck, and all it would take was a simple flick of the wrist to end her life in an instant. A horrifying thought that made this already awful situation all the more unbearable.

Yet for his part, Marluxia simply smirked, clearly able to tell that he had Sora right where he wanted him before he even spelled out his specific terms. "Hand over the Key," he said succinctly, inching his scythe just a bit closer to Rapunzel as she pressed up against the wall to avoid it. "Or else _she _pays the price."

Despite the gag wrapped around his mouth, Sora still attempted to protest this sadistic "deal", even if his arguments were all completely muffled. Surprisingly, Marluxia magically removed the gag with a mere wave of his hand, finally allowing him to speak his piece on the twisted ultimatum he'd been presented with. "Y-you…. You can't," he barely managed to say, his voice small and weak amidst the still-persistent panic pounding through him. "You wouldn't…"

"Believe me, I _would_," Marluxia coldly countered, finally pressing the edge of his scythe up against Rapunzel's neck until it lightly began to draw blood. She let out a small, pained cry under her own gag and when Gothel heard it, she tried lashing out at the Nobodies holding her back, desperate not to lose her precious flower now, after all the trouble it took to finally get her back. Still, it was to no avail as the steadfast Nobodies continued to keep her out of this negotiation, leaving Rapunzel's fate solely up to Sora alone.

"W-why?" Sora asked, unable to wipe away the tears still streaming down his cheeks as he tried to make sense of this bewildering bargain. "W-why are you doing this? You already have me, a-and I have the Key! You don't need to hurt her!"

"No, I don't," Marluxia astutely agreed, still not moving his scythe. "But as I said before, _you _clearly need to learn how to properly comply with our master's commands. If you are to become his final vessel, then he expects nothing less than your complete and utter respect."

"_You shall learn respect for your master and your Organization… and suffering will be your teacher!" _Xehanort's cruel words rang loud and clear through Sora's thoughts at this and now, he knew exactly what the elderly master had meant. There was no doubt that Xehanort and those following his lead were willing to do whatever it took to get him to submit himself to their side. And unfortunately, they seemed to know exactly how to get to him, what his biggest weakness was: that he would always, _always_ yield for the sake of innocent people, for his _friends _in particular, if it meant keeping them safe. And right alongside that disheartening fact, Sora also knew that the Organization didn't care for the lives of any of the residents in any of the worlds they went to; the only thing they did seem to care about was furthering their own malicious ends. Marluxia _wasn't _bluffing; there wasn't a chance that he was, not with a Key on the line. Which meant, as hopelessly trapped as he currently was, with no one by his side to bail him or Rapunzel out of this deadly disaster, Sora found he had no choice but to give the Organization exactly what they wanted.

"O-ok," he quietly relented, keeping his sights set on the desperate, fearful look Rapunzel was sending his way. Rapunzel, who had done her best to try and heal him, even if it had been in vain, and had earnestly listened to his troubles and loyally kept her promise to keep them a secret. Really, making this sacrifice to save her life was the least he could do to pay her back for the kindness she'd shown him. "Y-you can have it, just… don't hurt her, _please_."

Marluxia said nothing, his scythe still trained on Rapunzel, just in case. Sora gasped as one of his hands were suddenly freed, the shackle around it disappearing so he could summon the Key and deliver into the expectant hand Marluxia was extending out to him. The pure, warm light of that Key almost seemed mocking now as he hesitantly called upon it, his heart aching with grief and longing as he remembered the joyful, blissful moment he'd received it through, a moment that seemed like distant years ago now. Losing one on accident had been bad enough, but purposefully, _intentionally _giving one away like this was more than he could stand. He let out a small, mournful sob as he closed his eyes, ensuring that he wouldn't have to watch as he held the Key out, as the prize he claimed in a moment of such immense happiness was stolen from him in a moment of such sheer despair.

And just like that, Marluxia unceremoniously took it and the entire exchange was over. In an instant, Sora found both of his hands securely restrained once more, his mouth covered and silenced, and, at the very least, Marluxia's scythe finally moved away from Rapunzel. "Thank you, Sora," Marluxia said, looking over the newly-claimed Key with a broad, triumphant smile. "The Organization appreciates your loyal service. And we look forward to your further assistance in obtaining the rest. Now…" A tight, terrified whimper escaped Sora as he watched Marluxia summon a dark corridor, not even needing to wonder if he'd be dragged through it alongside the Key to whatever unknown fate the Organization had in store for him. "Let us be on our way."

"_Finally_…" Gothel let out an annoyed, but relieved sigh as the crowd of Nobodies holding her back finally disappeared. She was more than ready to make off with her own captive as well, only for a sudden call from outside of the tower to stop her dead in her tracks.

"Rapunzel!?" Eugene's voice echoed up to the tower's peak, his tone urgent and intense. "Rapunzel, let down your hair!"

"Sora!" A concerned shout from Donald came next, followed by a similarly worried call from Goofy. "Are you up there?!"

Rapunzel and Sora both went stiff upon hearing this, exchanging a set of surprised, yet hopeful glances as they realized that perhaps there was a chance they'd both be freed from the dire straits they were in after all. Even if their captors had far different plans in mind for how this encounter was to go.

"That miserable thief just doesn't know when to quit, does he?" Gothel scowled, though she quickly got an idea as she bundled up a handful of Rapunzel's hair. She explained nothing as she tossed it over the edge of the window, letting it down over the side of the tower just as Eugene had begged, almost as if she _wanted _him to come. Though for what reason, Rapunzel had no idea.

"Indeed, it seems as though your friends are quite persistent," Marluxia said to Sora, his tone all but unreadable as he let his dark corridor disappear. "Very well then; they've come all this way, so I suppose it's only fair to let them say their final farewells to you. Or rather," he wore an icy grin as he called upon his scythe once more, sending a stark burst of newfound panic through Sora's heart and mind alike. "To let _you _say your final farewell to _them_."

Eugene was the first to begin the long climb up Rapunzel's hair to the top of the tower, though Donald and Goofy were only a few paces behind him. Still, they all hurried toward the top as fast as they possibly could go, knowing that there was no time to waste in a precarious situation such as this.

"Rapunzel!" Eugene let out a sigh of relief as he finally made it to the window perch. "I thought I'd never see you agai-" He froze the moment he glanced up, only to see Rapunzel, chained, gagged, and terrified on the far end of the room. Sora was largely in the same frightening spot, though with the dangerous addition of Marluxia looming over him, scythe in hand and poised to use it. Rapunzel was quick to catch his attention again, however, in the form of a muffled, suddenly horrified scream through her gag, one that Eugene didn't understand the meaning behind until it was far too late.

It happened so quick there wouldn't have been any time to prepare even if he had known. The knife slipped into his back, creating a clean, deep, agonizing wound that pounded sheer, unending _pain _throughout every fiber of his body from the very moment it happened. To make matters worse, Gothel pulled her dagger out of him just as quickly, sending him collapsing to the ground all while Rapunzel's muted distraught screams continued to echo through the tower.

"Now look what you've done, Rapunzel," Gothel scoffed cruelly, outright ignoring Eugene as he languished at her feet. "Oh, don't worry, dear," she smirked as she began to approach Rapunzel, who was awash in misery, her broken sobs speaking volumes where words couldn't. All the while she kept her gaze locked on Eugene as she desperately tried to get to him, to have some chance at healing what was no doubt a fatal wound, a chance that Gothel wasn't about to let her have. "Our secret will die with him. And… with _them_."

No sooner had Gothel stepped away from the window than Donald and Goofy both practically vaulted through it, both of them noticing the most immediate cause for alarm in the room first. "Eugene!" they both exclaimed in apt shock, not hesitating to rush to his aid, only to be quickly blocked off by the largely invisible magical wall that had been erected in front of them.

"You know, it's quite rude to involve yourselves in affairs you have no real part of," Marluxia instantly diverted their attention, cueing them in on a sight that relieved and horrified them all at once.

"Sora!" they cried, once again in unison as they beat hard against the wall separating them. Sora met their panicked gaze slowly, his eyes wide and filled with tears and his expression absolutely shellshocked in light of the horrible act of violence that had just been inflicted against Eugene. Violence that he had been pathetically _powerless _to prevent.

"So, the two of you have come to stand between Sora and his true purpose yet again," Marluxia remarked dryly, aiming the tip of his scythe at his beleaguered captive, much to Donald and Goofy's immense alarm. "Not at all surprising. Unfortunately for you, your constant interference has ceased to be amusing. Which means the time has finally come to put an end to that interference, once and for all."

"Enough!" Donald shouted furiously, attempting to cast a lightning spell that was merely rebuffed by the barrier that had been put in place to stop such magic. "Let Sora go _now _and get lost!"

"Yeah!" Goofy firmly, bravely agreed. "You can try to do whatever you want to us, but there's no way we're gonna let you drag him back to the Organization! Not now, not _ever_!"

"Oh, but it's not a matter of what _I'm _going to do," Marluxia countered evenly. "The deciding factor here is what _Sora's _going to do instead."

Sora flinched, shaken out of his distraught revere at this just in time to glance up to see Marluxia raise his scythe high above him. Briefly, he feared that it was for the sake of launching some sort of unknown attack at Donald and Goofy, but he quickly realized that wasn't the case far too late as the tip of the weapon swiftly swung down at _him _instead. It struck him hard in the side, its sharp edge brutally grazing his hip and creating a deep, devastating cut in the process. He didn't even hear his companion's shared shocked cry for him since his own muted scream of anguish overtook them both as he collapsed, his hands still bound as his injured side struck the ground, sending an all new wave of intense agony through the already heavily bleeding wound.

Needless to say that upon watching not just one, but _two _people she cared about be so viciously injured out of petty spite alone, Rapunzel had reached far past her limit by this point. Even though Gothel was in the midst of dragging her out of the tower by her chains, Rapunzel pulled hard against her hold, knowing she _could _save both Eugene and Sora, knowing that she _had _the power to save them both before it was too late.

"Rapunzel, really!" Gothel shouted, infuriated as she harshly yanked her captive, fighting back against her stubborn resistance. "Enough already! Stop fighting me!"

With a particularly powerful pull, Rapunzel ripped herself away from Gothel, her gag finally slipping off of her face in the process as she fell to the ground. "No!" she shouted, absolutely livid as she continued her relentless struggle. "I _won't _stop! For every minute of the rest of my life, I will _fight_! I will _never _stop trying to get away from you!" She paused, only for a moment, affirming the sudden, risky idea that had just occurred to her, one that she could only hope would finally bring this violence and bloodshed to an end, even if the cost was her very own freedom. "B-but if you let me save them, both of them, I… I _will _go with you."

"N-no!" Eugene choked from his spot on the ground, still succumbing to the pain of his own heavy wound. Yet even despite that wound, he knew that what Rapunzel was about to resign herself to was far worse than any mere injury could have ever been. "N-no, Rapunzel… p-please…"

"I'll never run, I'll never try to escape," Rapunzel continued her negotiation as steadily as she possibly could. "J-just let me heal them, and you and I will be together… f-forever, just like you want. Everything will be the way it was. I promise. Just like you want. Just… let me heal them…"

Gothel met her desperate pleas with a hateful glare at first, and briefly Rapunzel feared that she wouldn't relent. And yet, after a moment or two of tense silence, she finally released her unyielding hold on her chains, allowing Rapunzel just the chance she had been hoping for. As Gothel hurried over to secure Eugene in shackles all his own to keep him from following them, Rapunzel tried running over to help Sora first, only to be stopped by the still quite sturdy magical barrier surrounding him.

"My apologies, princess," Marluxia said to her as she began beating against the unseeable wall just as heavily as Donald and Goofy already were. "But your powers won't be necessary here."

"N-no," Rapunzel shook her head, her tone fretful and pleading, especially as she looked at Sora. He was facing away from her as he lay on the ground, largely motionless now even if his heavy, ragged breathing conveyed that he was still hanging on, if only just barely. "No, _please_, you… you have to _have _to let me help him, I-I can't just-"

"Rapunzel!" Donald and Goofy quickly garnished her attention, both of them still trying to do everything they could to reach their hurt young companion. The captain continually bashed his shield against the impenetrable barrier while the magician fired off several healing spells, none of which even reached Sora thanks to the wall's dispelling effects.

"We'll take care of Sora!" Donald insisted adamantly.

"You go heal Eugene!" Goofy added, knocking his shield against the wall once more.

"B-but…" Rapunzel hesitated, sparing a glance over at Eugene, who was still gripping his own deadly injury, still desperately in need of her healing just as much as Sora was. And while she hated to choose one over the other, she ultimately knew the pair was right; she had to help whoever she could, however she could, especially since time was quickly slipping away for her to do so.

All the while, amidst all of this chaos and distress, Sora remained still, the cut torn across his side creating the pool of warm blood he'd only just realized he was lying in. The immense pain flooding his side alone was enough to tell him that the injury was awful, even if he couldn't properly see it; maybe not entirely deadly, though it had the potential to be if he continued bleeding out unfettered like this. But with his hands still tightly chained, there was little he could do to staunch that bleeding, _nothing _he could do to stop himself from _dying_, he all-too quickly realized.

And once again, he knew exactly why that was, why he couldn't free himself, why he couldn't _save _himself, or Donald or Goofy or Eugene or Rapunzel or anyone else for that matter. Because he was _weak_, far too weak to break the chains, both past and present, that kept him bound to pain and fear and guilt and grief. Chains that weighed him down, that had wrapped themselves tightly around his heart, chains that were suffocating his spirit, that kept him forever trapped, unable to escape and find the sort of freedom he needed, the freedom he knew only the warmth of the light could provide. Because instead, those chains just kept pulling him under, brutally, endlessly dragging him down into darkness so deep he was sure to drown in it. And as his vision began to grow dim and his body started to go numb, he realized that since he was far too weak to keep himself above the surface of that darkness, there was nothing left to do now but let himself finally be pulled far beneath its overwhelming waves.

When his eyes opened again a mere second or two later, they were nothing more than wide beams of pure, empty gold. Marluxia smirked and Donald and Goofy gasped in fear as they noticed the shroud of heavy shadows starting to overtake Sora's listless form. That darkness swelled over his entire body, causing it to shift and mutate in a number of dangerous, monstrous ways. His fingers extended into knifelike claws, much sharper than they usually were, and tipped with a crimson color akin to blood. His mouth split open unnaturally wide, his newly-fanged maw filled with hollow light as he easily tore the gag that had once covered it apart. At the same time, he easily ripped his hands out of the shackles holding them with the immense strength this gruesome form allotted him. The wound in his side was all but gone, yet the x-shaped scar on his chest strangely seemed to _glow _under his equally shadowy clothing, adding another all-new horrific level to his already nightmarish appearance.

"Now…" Marluxia stepped back as Sora properly sat up, savagely snarling all the while. Donald and Goofy noticed almost immediately that the invisible walls that had been erected had finally disappeared, leaving nothing standing between them and Sora any longer. Not as if that was actually a good thing at a moment like this. "I believe I'll leave the trouble of tearing down the obstacle you both pose to _him_."

With this, Sora suddenly lunged forward, ready to viciously, wildly attack whatever or whoever he could get his claws on first. Since Donald and Goofy were immediately in front of him, he targeted them instantly, not even recognizing either of them in the slightest, despite their panicked pleas for him to remember them as well as himself. From the far side of the room, Rapunzel gasped in apt terror as she watched this frightening, unexplainable scene unfold, yet despite her desire to step in and help somehow, a small, feeble cough from Eugene caught her more immediate attention instead.

"E-Eugene!" she gasped, leaning down close to him to check over the grave injury Gothel had inflicted upon him. Over the course of a few short minutes alone, it had already taken a heavy toll, to the point that blood was even soaking his abdomen, a sure sign that she had no time to waste. "I-I… I'm so sorry. E-everything is going to be ok though," she assured him, bundling up as much of her hair as she could only for Eugene to suddenly stop her.

"N-No, Rapunzel…" he shuddered in obvious agony.

"I promise, you have to trust me," she countered quickly, still pulling her hair over to him as she began to gently press it against his wound. "Come on, just breathe-"

"I-I… I can't let you do this…" Eugene pleaded, tears brimming in his eyes, which were quickly starting to grow dull and heavy.

"And I can't let you die…" she whispered painfully, knowing exactly what she was giving up so he might live. A high price to buy just about the most worthy thing she could think of.

"B-but if you do this… t-then _you _will die…" he protested, knowing that while Gothel wouldn't let her _literally _die, the pure, precious light and laughter inside her heart, the very things he loved about her most, certainly would from being essentially kept in a cage for the rest of her life.

"Hey," she offered him a quiet smile as she pressed a soft, affectionate hand against his cheek. "It's gonna be alright…"

He finally gave her a ghost of a smile at this, seeming to accept her aid as he lightly brushed his hand through her hair, stopping her just as she prepared to sing. "Rapunzel, wait..." he said, his voice barely a whisper by this point as he looked into her eyes with nothing less than absolute love and adoration. He sat up a bit, and Rapunzel allowed it, watching as his face drew closer to hers to the point that she didn't even realize his hand was reaching around to grasp her hair tightly. And in a moment so quick, so shockingly swift she could have never seen it coming, he lashed out, using the stray shard of glass in his hand as a knife to suddenly slice through her hair, cutting the vast majority of her lengthy golden locks clean off.

"E-Eugene! What-" Rapunzel gasped, bolting upright as she reached for her hair, which no longer even reached down to her shoulders as it steadily shifted from blonde to brown.

"No!" Gothel's horrified scream starkly echoed through the tower, the shrill sound catching Sora's attention in particular and drawing it away from Donald and Goofy as they tried their best to defend themselves against him. At the same time, all Rapunzel could do was watch as the now severed length of her fallen hair also turned brown, losing its magic almost instantly, even despite Gothel's frantic attempts to capture that magic before it was too late. "What have you done?!" she shrieked, watching with panic as her hands began to shrivel up, the same sort of age rapidly graying her raven hair and filling her once-beautiful face up with deep, unpleasant wrinkles. "_What have you DONE?!" _

With her bones withering and her energy waning, Gothel haphazardly stumbled toward the nearby shattered mirror, aghast by her own hideous reflection. Hysterical, she pulled her hood tight over her head so she wouldn't have to look at her practically ancient body any longer. In doing so, however, she failed to notice the sudden violent attack coming her way until Sora harshly rammed into her, lashing his claws out at her wildly in the hopes of claiming a heart that he could easily sense was on the verge of decay. Gothel howled in agony from the heavy wounds she sustained, scrambling backward toward the window as she rushed to avoid enduring any more. Yet as she neared the window, she failed to notice Pascal, who had pulled some of Rapunzel's fallen hair taunt just in time for Gothel to trip over it and fall, not just to the ground, but out of the window entirely. Sora nearly leapt out after her, unable to think of anything other than his instinctual, animalistic hunger for a heart, _any _heart, in place of the one he believed he'd lost, but fortunately, Donald and Goofy managed to catch him and pull him back into the tower just in time.

Gothel, however, wasn't so lucky. Her screams eventually echoed into silence as she fell the full length of the tower she'd kept Rapunzel prisoner in for 18 years. And, before she even hit the ground far below, she'd turned to nothing more than dust, a testament to the hundreds of years she'd managed to falsely keep herself young for before the magic of her flower, magic that had never really been hers' to begin with, finally failed her for the first and last time ever.

Almost as soon as Donald and Goofy managed to properly reign Sora back into the tower, he turned on them, growling aggressively as he hunched low, ready to relentlessly attack them both in retaliation. The pair winced, clutching their respective weapons tightly as they silently, stressfully wondered what they could do to help their darkened young companion. Appealing to his sense of logic and personality never seemed to work when he was like this, his mind and heart alike both heavily veiled by the shadows he was submerged in to the point that words and pleas, no matter how desperate or earnest, were always lost on him in this monstrous form. But while neither Donald nor Goody had the faintest idea as to what to do, Sora just so happened to pick up on the presence of another target, or, at least as he was still able to tell, a _threat_.

For perhaps the first time since this entire ordeal began, Marluxia seemed to be genuinely surprised as Sora suddenly bolted past his companions, letting out a furious, feral hiss as he ran on all fours toward him instead. The Organization member reacted swiftly, using his scythe to defend himself against Sora's unexpected onslaught. "Stand down," he commanded firmly, scowling down at his former captive after he roughly shoved him back. Sora paid him no mind, however, as he instead persisted, a shadow-seeped Keyblade in his hand now as he swung hard and brutishly. The two weapons clashed violently against each other, and once more, Marluxia managed to repel Sora, though just barely. "I _order _you to stand down!" he repeated fiercely, taking a wide swing that Sora easy blocked and countered with his own dark blade.

"H-he's not listening to him…" Goofy noted, absolutely dumbfounded by this turn of events.

"Of course he's not," Donald remarked as they both watched this skirmish unfold apprehensively. "Nobody can control him when he gets like that. We can't, Maleficent couldn't, and neither can…"

"The Organization!" the both exclaimed in dawning realization that this could, ironically enough, be just the shift they needed to save Sora after all.

As the pair rushed forward to offer their transformed companion some aid against their mutual foe, Rapunzel pulled Eugene in close to her, forcing herself to focus on him instead of the violent scene unfolding just a few feet behind her. "R-Rapunzel…" Eugene spoke, his voice soft and feeble as he struggled to keep his eyes open. "W-what's… what's going on?"

"Shh… it's ok…" she comforted him, holding his pale face gently as tears began to well up in her eyes. "I-it's nothing you need to worry about… J-just… just look at me, I'm right here. S-stay with me, _please_, don't go-" She was starting to grow desperate, realizing that his pulse was slowing progressively, his eyes sliding shut as his head lolled to the side. She was losing him; she was _losing _him and now he had made sure there was _nothing _she could do about it. He had indeed saved her, set her free from Gothel and her treachery once at for all… and in doing so, he had selflessly forfeited his chance at life in the process.

"_F-flower gleam and glow, let your power shine-" _she sang as fast as she possibly could as she pressed his limp hand against her head, hoping that her hair still contained _some _small shred of its former magic. _"Let your power shine-"_

"Rapunzel-"

"_M-make the clock reverse," _she was sobbing on each word by this point, but she didn't care, she _couldn't _care, she had to save him _somehow_. He had given her so much, had shown her so much, had made her feel something she'd never truly felt before; and now that she'd gotten even just the smallest glimpse of what her life was like with him, she couldn't imagine living it without him. _"Bring back what once was mine."_

"Rapunzel…" He caught her attention this time, meeting her heartbroken expression with the softest, sweetest smile he could muster.

"W-what?" she asked, absolutely agonized.

"Y-you… you were my new dream…" he whispered lovingly, his voice barely audible, but she'd heard it all the same.

"And you were mine…" she replied sadly, unable to do anything else but helplessly watch as the life faded out of that dream, out of _him, _altogether.

Amidst her crushing grief, the clamor of the sudden battle raging on the far side of the tower was all but lost on her. That battle only intensified as Donald and Goofy joined it, launching their own barrage of attacks at Marluxia right alongside Sora. As bombarded as he was, he didn't get much of a chance to summon any Nobodies to ward them off like he usually would have. Instead, the trio had essentially managed to corner him, blocking or evading his scythe's swings in the hopes of driving him off once and for all.

"Fools…" Marluxia growled as he swung at Donald and Goofy hatefully. "You really think you can save him from what he's ultimately destined to become? Just look at him. Darkness has already found a place within his heart; it can only stand to grow from here."

"You're wrong!" Donald protested resiliently as he cast a powerful wind spell. "Even if Sora _does _have darkness in his heart, he'd _never _use it to serve the Organization!"

"That's right!" Goofy readily agreed, solidly blocking another swing with his shield. "His heart's a lot stronger than you think it is; _he's _a lot stronger than you think!"

Marluxia was more than prepared to send back a haughty retort, but just before he could, he was completely caught off guard by a sudden attack from Sora himself. As if prompted onward by his companions' show of confidence in him, he leapt up and lashed out, the tips of his claws catching Marluxia clean across the face. He stumbled back, clutching the now-bleeding wound across his cheek with a furious shout of pain as his scythe fell to the ground before disappearing completely.

"All right…" he muttered darkly, a dark corridor forming behind him as he continued to nurse his sizable wound. "If you wish to wallow in the light you no longer belong in, that's _fine_," he spoke to Sora specifically, who still hadn't the faintest idea as to what he was saying as he hunched low in preparation for another strike, growling hatefully all the while. "But just remember... you _won't _be able to keep yourself out of the shadows forever; and that when you finally _do _come to take your proper place within them… we'll all be right there, waiting for you…"

Marluxia offered the trio one final twisted smile as he stepped into his darkened portal, finally taking his leave from this world with a Key in hand, but fortunately not Sora as he'd originally intended. With the more immediate threat gone, Donald and Goofy would have liked to have let out a much-needed sigh of relief, they knew they would see no such relief so long as Sora remained trapped in his current monstrous form.

"Sora…" Donald began, taking a cautious step back as their young companion reared low and snarled threateningly at them both, still unable to distinguish them from friend or foe.

"L-listen," Goofy said just as warily, upholding his shield all the while, just in case. "Please, we need you to-"

Sora silenced both of their appeals himself as he suddenly perked up, his tense, bitter expression shifting into one of apparent confusion and curiosity, particularly as he spotted Rapunzel and Eugene on the far side of the room. He slowly began inching toward the pair, and Donald and Goofy anxiously followed, hoping that he wouldn't do anything to hurt either of them. Or rather, to hurt Rapunzel since it seemed as though Eugene was too far gone by now, much to the pair's immense remorse.

Yet for her part, Rapunzel paid the trio no mind, still holding onto Eugene as she slowly finished her incantation one final time, even if she knew that it wouldn't do him any good anymore. _"Heal what has been hurt… Change the Fate's design…"_

Strangely, Sora stopped short upon hearing her song, his glowing eyes wide and intrigued as he leaned in to listen. Donald and Goofy stood back just a pace away from him, unsure of what he was doing, unsure of what he was thinking or feeling, if anything at all. But even so he remained oddly still and quiet as Rapunzel's mournful melody continued.

"_Save what has been lost…"_

"_Bring back what once was mine…"_

"_What once was mine…"_

A single tear slipped down her cheek as her song came to an end, her heart lost to grief and pain too unbearable to even speak of. That tear landed squarely on Eugene's cold, ashen cheek as dense silence filled the darkened tower, silence that gripped Donald, Goofy, and even Sora as they all stood by solemnly. The only thing that permeated that silence were Rapunzel's broken sobs, her immense, immeasurable sadness seeming to fill every square inch of the room. Sadness that she knew would swell inside her heart for every minute of the rest of her life she'd never get to have with him.

But then…

A small speck of light caught her eye, light that only began to grow as it bloomed from the wound he had succumbed to. That light began to spill from the injury in vibrant golden tendrils, sweeping out far and wide across the tower to chase the heavy shadows that had filled it away, replacing them with crisp, warm, _healing_ radiance.

And the tower wasn't the only thing that light banished the darkness from. Almost as if this miraculous blaze knew what it was doing, several of its swirling rays slowly began to weave themselves around Sora, their incredibly luminance eliciting a loud, pained hiss out of him as they contrasted with the incredible darkness covering him. Yet in the end, the light was what won out, stripping away the shadows that had overtaken him as they steadily purified his heart and mind, restoring both in the process. As the last of the shadows faded from him, Sora collapsed weakly to the ground, his own heavy wound still very much apparent, though not for long as Donald and Goofy rushed in to aid him in any way they could.

At the same time, all Rapunzel could do was continue to watch in awe as light continued to pour out of Eugene's injury, taking on something of the shape of what seemed to be a golden flower, even as its power began to fade. When it was gone, she nearly dared to check where his wound had been, only to inspect his face for any possible signs of life instead. And sure enough, against all odds, his eyes slowly began to open, a small, but steady breath escaping him as he focused his somewhat bleary gaze on her.

"R-Rapunzel…?"

She gasped, the sound of his voice alone sparking more joy and relief through her than she could have ever thought possible. "Eugene!"

"Did I… ever tell you I have a thing for brunettes?" he asked, finally managing to crack a small, flirtatious smile.

She laughed brightly at this, unable to contain her excitement and elation as she threw herself against him in a tight, loving embrace, one that he was more than happy to return. They were caught in a tide between laughing and sobbing as they clung onto each other joyously, both of them alive and together, now with nothing or no one to get in their way. And in celebration of that beautiful newfound freedom they'd found together, Rapunzel didn't hesitate to finally pull Eugene's lips against hers, both of them easily falling into a warm and welcome kiss, the first of many they would be sure to share in the years to come.

While Donald and Goofy were certainly happy for the couple, they couldn't really focus much of their attention in joining in on their levity as they instead rushed to neutralize the still bleeding wound on Sora's side as much as possible. He was largely out of it, wincing in tight pain as Goofy helped him properly sit up to take a potion while Donald cast one of the most powerful healing spells in his arsenal. It was enough to seal the cut, even if it did still leave a rather nasty scary behind and the blood lost from it had largely left Sora listless and weak. Yet as his companions gave him a moment to properly recover and come to, both of them immediately noticed that something had changed about him, his appearance now markedly different than how it had been before his most recent slip into darkness. Neither of them knew what to make of it, and they were particularly stunned into shock as Sora finally opened his eyes to look up at them, even if he didn't notice the clear alarm in their expressions right away.

"D-Donald? Goofy?" he asked, his voice timid and tired as he struggled to properly sit up on his own without their support. "W-what happened…?"

"Uh… w-well…" Goofy exchanged a nervous glance with Donald, neither of them sure of what to say at a moment like this. "A-a _lot _happened, but…"

"Sora…" the magician picked up just as anxiously, apprehension that Sora finally managed to catch onto as he finally managed to pull himself up. "Y-you… you're…"

"Rapunzel! Eugene!" Sora interrupted with a surprised gasp, hastily rising to stand, even if he nearly fell right back down again if not for his companions steadying him just in time. Even so, he couldn't help but smile in immense relief as he saw the couple step forward, even if the shared startled glances they were sending his way were largely lost on him. "You guys are ok! Wait… Rapunzel, what happened to your hair?"

"Uh…" Rapunzel frowned, running a hand through her now short, brown locks.

"_Her_ hair?" Eugene asked incredulously as he looked Sora over. "Kid, you should see _your_ ha-"

"O-ok, Eugene!" Rapunzel quickly interjected as she grabbed his arm and began leading him toward the once-hidden staircase. "Why don't we give Sora, Donald, and Goofy a bit of privacy? I-I have a feeling there's something they need to talk about _alone_…"

Eugene gave her a puzzled look at this, though he ultimately folded upon meeting her own insistent expression. "Uh, ok..." he said, still largely out of the loop as he followed Rapunzel out. "Guess we'll meet you fellas outside then."

As Rapunzel escorted Eugene out, she sent a brief glance back to Sora, offering him a tight, worried, yet encouraging smile, one that he didn't understand the meaning behind in the slightest. Even after the couple was gone and he turned back to his own companions, their own mutually fretful focus on him still a complete mystery that he was determined to get the answers to.

"Ok… what's going on?" Sora asked them almost hesitantly, not entirely sure if he'd like to find out after everything he was able to remember recently happening. Yet when neither Donald nor Goofy made any attempt to answer right away, he found himself prompted to push them for the truth again. "Seriously, what's wrong?"

"Uh… i-it might just be easier to _show _you instead…" Goofy said, retrieving one of the countless scattered broken mirror shards off the ground.

"Show me what?" Sora asked as he curiously took the mirror piece. However, as soon as he caught the briefest glimpse of his own reflection in it, all of his questions were immediately answered in the worst way possible. Where there had only been a few sparse, easily-concealed hints of white in his hair before, much of his bangs and several of his tips had been starkly, blatantly overtaken by the unsettling snowy shade that clashed harshly against his natural brown. But even more alarming than that were his eyes, the gold in them now bright and sharp and beyond obvious to see even upon a first glance. That garish yellow practically seemed to glow against the calm ocean blue it was corrupting, and when combined with his whitening hair, both served to make his very own reflection look like a stranger, like someone he didn't even recognize in the slightest.

Like someone who would fit right in within the ranks of Organization XIII.

As the mirror shard slipped out of his hand, he also noticed his hands, even as trembling as they currently were and largely covered by his gloves, had been completely blanketed by shadows, his fingers wholly darkened to a practically monstrous degree. He'd taken notice of these sinister signs before, but now that they had expanded, now that they were all absolutely out in the open for everyone _else _to see, for his _friends _to see, it was all far more than he could possibly hope to bear.

Donald and Goofy could do nothing but worriedly watch as Sora collapsed to his knees before them, overwhelmed by dread and fear that were both gripping his heart like a vice. Both of them were compelled to comfort him, especially as he inevitably broke down into a round of loud, heavy sobs that he was completely powerless to hold back as he poured out his immense grief freely. And yet, for as much as they wanted to console that grief, neither of them really knew where to even start.

At least until Sora ended up starting this very difficult conversation off for all of them. "I-I… I'm sorry…" he wept brokenly, unable to even look up at either of them out of sheer, crushing shame and guilt combined.

"F-for what?" Donald asked carefully, quietly.

"I-I promised I wouldn't lie to either of you anymore…" he began in a mournful mutter as he wrapped his arms around himself tightly. "B-but that's all I've _been _doing for a long time now…"

"W-what do you mean…?" Goofy pressed, even if both him and Donald had a steady hunch about what this lie was all about. Especially as they remembered the ominous claims Marluxia had made to them earlier, claims that suddenly didn't seem so outlandish now.

"Everything the Organization's been saying… a-about me becoming Xehanort's thirteenth vessel…" Sora shuddered, his heart wavering with terror at the thought of even saying it out loud. And yet, considering his current damming appearance, it was practically impossible for him to keep it hidden any longer, as much as he wished he still could. "I-it's all _true_!"

Needless to say that despite all of their prior worries and suspicions, nothing could have prepared either Donald or Goofy for hearing Sora admit this horrific fact himself. Yet before either of them could so much as say a single word in response to it, Sora kept going tearfully, frantically, unable to stop himself from revealing the full nightmarish scope of what he was facing now that he'd revealed the most basic level of it all. "I-it's true and I've _known _that it was true for _months _now, j-just like I knew that the scar and the cracks in my Keyblade and _this-_" he motioned to his hair and his eyes alike, another tight sob escaping him in the process. "Were all signs of what's been happening to me, b-but I didn't think they were that bad because I thought I could fight it a-and keep it from getting any worse, but I…" He hesitated, staring down at his shadow-streaked hands in hopeless despair. "I don't know how to stop this… I don't even think I _can_…"

Silence filled the tower once more, only barely permeated by Sora as he continued mourning his miserable fate, his face buried in his hands as his companions offered him shared, earnest compassionate frowns. For their own part, their grief was also quite measurable, both of them practically on the verge of tears themselves as they thought about the very real possibility of Sora being torn away from them _permanently _in such an agonizing, awful way. But even so, they both did their best to remain steady, knowing that they had to at least try to be strong to offer their devastated young companion the support and solidarity he so clearly needed right now.

"Sora… why didn't you tell us?" Donald asked, his tone surprisingly lacking any of the fury Sora would have expected out of him at a moment like this.

"I… T-there were… a lot of different reasons why I didn't…" Sora began quietly, finally managing to glance up at the pair remorsefully. "I guess the biggest one was…" He couldn't help but let out a small, fake, bitter chuckle as he remembered what Xehanort had forced him to reveal in his most recent nightmare, deciding to echo it now since it was still very much the truth. "I was scared…"

"Scared of what?" Goofy asked with earnest sympathy.

"I… I was scared that you'd both be mad at me, and not just for lying to you either…" Sora sighed, closing his eyes as tears continued streaming down his cheeks steadily. "I thought that… i-if you knew the truth, if you knew what was happening to me, w-what I might… turn into… t-then… then you'd leave me… And after everything that's happened and all the trouble I've caused you… I wouldn't blame you if you did..."

"Aw, phooey!" Donald suddenly exclaimed, absolutely adamant. "We'd never leave you behind, Sora! You _know _that!"

"And that's no chance we'd leave you over something like this," Goofy firmly agreed. "Especially since it looks like you're gonna need our help now more than ever."

"H-help?" Sora asked, looking between them incredulously. "W-what… what could you guys even _try _to do to stop this when _I _don't know what to do about it myself?"

"Well, we can start by getting you to someone who _might _know what to do," Donald suggested, offering him a reassuring smile.

"Yeah, like Riku," Goofy pointed out, not noticing the instant burst of panic that filled Sora's expression at this mere suggestion alone. "He knows a lot about how to deal with darkness, and I'm sure he'd be more than willing to help you-"

"_No_," Sora interjected, his tone tense and rigid as he finally forced himself to stand. "No, we are _not _telling Riku about this. Or Kairi or the king or Yen Sid or _anyone _else! Nobody else needs to know!"

"Yes, they do!" Donald argued sternly.

"Sora, this is really serious," Goofy agreed. "If we don't figure out a way to stop this, then… you could-"

"I know," Sora huffed, not wanting to even hear such a horrific thought spoken aloud. "I _know_. B-but… that doesn't mean _we _can't find a way to fix this on our own. We've made it through a lot worse than this before, haven't we?"

"I… don't know if we can say we have…" Goofy frowned worriedly, not even needing to note Sora's startling change in appearance as proof of how dire this situation really was.

"Why won't you ever just ask for help when you need it?!" Donald asked him harshly, even if he knew he was venting his frustration with this largely hopeless situation at large to the victim of it all. "You always wait until the last minute, until things are already _way _too out of hand! Maybe if you had just _told _us what was going on from the beginning, we wouldn't even be having this conversation right now!"

"You don't get it, do you!?" Sora shot back just as fiercely, the gold in his eyes seeming to shine in the low light of the tower as if in response to his anger. "This is _exactly _why I _didn't _tell you! I didn't want you to…" he trailed off, glancing away bitterly as he tried fighting back his returning tears.

"...Didn't want us to leave?" Goofy inferred fretfully.

"...I-I… I didn't want you to see me like this…" Sora admitted softly, still not looking to either of them despite their intent stares. "I don't want _anyone _to see me like this…"

"Like… what?" Donald asked, not entirely following. Both him and Goofy initially assumed he was referring to his current unsettling appearance, and yet there seemed to be more to it than that. _Much _more to it.

"Like I-I'm… like I'm _weak_," he whispered, the admittance alone absolutely agonizing. "I-it was bad enough after you guys rescued me from Maleficent and everyone thought that they needed to take care of me. But if they knew about _this_?" he sighed, running a hand through his whitening hair. "I don't even know _what _they'd do. And I don't want to find out either. I'm so… _tired _of everyone acting like I always need to be saved; I _don't_. I can save myself! I-I _will _save myself from this, I just… need to figure out how…"

"Aw, Sora…" Goofy said, placing a secure, comforting hand on his shoulder. "You know we aren't tryin' to make you feel weak; that's just about the last thing we want."

"But this is much more important than you trying to prove yourself," Donald insisted evenly. "You _have _to understand that if we don't find a way to stop this, you could-"

"I _KNOW _what could happen to me!" Sora practically shouted as he pulled himself away from both of them, desperate for some kind of relief, however small, from the endless torrent of painful emotions constantly dragging him down. "It's all I've been able to think about for _weeks _now and it's _awful_! Do you really think I _want _to just… lose myself like this and be forced to fight everyone I care about?! Do you think I don't already know that this is just bound to get even worse from here if we don't find a way to stop it?! I _get _it, I understand it, every terrible part of it! I don't _need _either of you to remind me about it, ok?!"

As Sora succumbed to another round of angry, agonized sobs, all Donald and Goofy could do was stand by, their hearts practically breaking for all of the severe strife he was clearly going through. The captain was the first to speak to that strife, hoping that a few reassuring words might serve to ease it in at least some small sort of way. "Sora… you know that all we wanna do, all we've _ever _wanted to do is help you… right?"

"I-If you _really _wanted to help me, then you'd actually _listen _to me," Sora said succinctly, looking to the pair pleadingly. "I don't want _anyone _else knowing about this. We _can't _let anyone know, a-at least not yet. I-I… don't know how long this whole thing might take, but… right now I still don't think it's _that _out of control. I-I mean… aside from… stuff like this," he briefly glanced down at his hands before offering his companions a small, barely manageable smile. "I'm still _me_. Which means there's still time! We can still find a way to undo this, just the three of us; I know we can."

"A-and if we can't?" Goofy asked, dreading the very thought of such an unthinkable outcome.

"Then… I-I guess we can get some extra help," Sora muttered quickly, far from fond of the idea as he hoped it would never come to that. "But for now, can we please, _please _just keep this between the three of us? That's all I'm asking, a-and I know that's a lot, but… if there's anyone I know I can trust with something like this… it's you guys."

At that moment, the only thing either Donald or Goofy could really think of were Marluxia's coldhearted claims that Sora _didn't _trust them, and sure enough, he really _hadn't _before in keeping such a significant secret from them. And yet now, he was essentially relying on his trust for them, hoping that they'd help him shoulder a secret he'd been carrying entirely on his own for quite some time now. What he was asking of them was risky, downright dangerous even, especially since there was no real guarantee that they'd actually be able to stop Xehanort's sadistic schemes for Sora on their own. And yet, as they both looked to their young companion's saddened, earnest, practically _desperate _expression once more and remembered just how many times they'd failed to protect him in the past, they ultimately knew neither of them had any real choice. After all, it was the least they could do to try and make up for all those failures, even if they hoped they wouldn't end up failing him in the worst way possible by even agreeing to this uncertain secrecy.

"Fine," Donald folded with a tired sigh, one that Goofy echoed as he nodded solemnly. "We won't tell anyone. But someone's bound to find out eventually just by _looking _at you. I don't know how you plan to hide what's happening to your hair or your eyes or your hands. Unless…"

Sora perked up in sudden interest at this. "Unless… what?"

Donald flinched, realizing he'd probably already said too much, especially given the immensely curious look Sora was sending his way. But even so, it was already too late to backpedal from it now. "Er… I… _might _be able to use a little magic to hide all that… _maybe_…" he admitted apprehensively, not really wanting Sora to set his hopes _too _high on such a plan, even if he already had from the moment he heard it.

"Really?" he asked with a newfound smile. "How?"

"Oh! Couldn't ya just use the same sort of spell you cast on all three of us whenever we need to look different in another world?" Goofy asked knowingly.

"That's… exactly it," Donald nodded, still on the fence about this idea, even if he could tell Sora was growing steadily more excited about it by the second. "It's actually called a glamour, and it-"

"It can make all this go away?" Sora asked, referring to the white in his hair and the yellow in his eyes.

"_No_," Donald corrected. "It can _hide _it. It won't do anything to get rid of it; but it _can _basically cover it up so nobody else will be able to see it, not even you."

"W-well, that definitely sounds better than going around like _this_…" Sora said, pulling his shadow-covered hands in close as he looked to the magician earnestly. "Can you cast that-what was it called again?-uh… glimmer spell on me, Donald? Please?"

"It's _glamour_," Donald corrected as he crossed his arms stubbornly. "And I don't see why I should. We're already doing you enough "favors" by _lying _to everyone for you, if you ask me."

"Aw, c'mon, Donald," Goofy coaxed much more reasonably. "It's just one tiny little spell. And I'm sure it would help Sora feel a whole lot better, wouldn't it?"

"It really would," Sora nodded, still maintaining a small, pleading smile.

And under scrutiny from both of them, and under the practically _begging _look Sora in particular was giving him, Donald found that, once again, he had no choice but to agree. "Ugh! Ok, ok!" he grumbled as he summoned his wand. "Just stand still and close your eyes, will ya?"

Sora certainly didn't protest, doing as he was told while Donald focused on casting the rather powerful glamour powerful spell. There was a noticeable burst of comforting warmth that came along with it, light briefly covering his entire body as it essentially masked what the darkness besieging his heart had done to his appearance. When it was over a moment later, both Donald and Goofy could immediately see that it had indeed worked, as every single trace of stark white had miraculously vanished from his hair, leaving only its usual brown behind. They received even further confirmation of that fact when Sora opened his eyes, which were completely blue once more, with not even a speck of gold to be found in them at all.

"So…?" he asked, already wearing an immensely relieved smile as he noticed that his hands were finally free of the shadows that had once marred his naturally tanned skin. "How do I look?"

Donald and Goofy exchanged a rather weary glance at this, both of them knowing that this spell, that their promise to keep the terrible truth hidden in general, were both only temporary fixes to a much larger problem. A problem that, at least at the moment, none of them had even the slightest idea how to truly solve. "Like _you…_" Donald conceded with a small, somewhat sad sigh.

"That's more than good enough for me," Sora said with a smile, a genuine, _earnest _smile that both of his companions couldn't help but share at least a little in return. "Now come on," he led the way to leave the tower, knowing that without the Key, there was largely nothing left for them in this world. And that time was of the essence to get the rest, perhaps now more than ever before. "We've got a _lot _of work to do…"

* * *

The trio's parting with Rapunzel and Eugene was relatively short and sweet. While both sides had plenty of questions about what had fully transpired in the tower, they ultimately decided that some of them were better left unanswered in favor of more optimistic sentiments. While Rapunzel and Eugene were certainly sad to see the trio go, they understood the reason why, with what little Sora, Donald, and Goofy were actually able to explain of it, at least. For their own part, the couple planned to return to the kingdom (accompanied by Maximus and Pascal, of course), where Rapunzel hoped to finally reunite with her _real _family, the king and queen of Corona themselves. Eugene was more than content to stay by her side for whatever happened, knowing that he'd never want to stray away, a sentiment that Rapunzel mutually, lovingly shared with him and always would for the rest of their days.

And yet, despite the happy ending she knew she was receiving, Rapunzel could still tell Sora still wasn't anywhere close to his own from his reserved, almost sad manner during their farewells. Which was why, knowing what she did of his condition, she had briefly pulled him aside just shy of the two groups heading their own separate ways in the hopes of offering him what little hope and encouragement she could. "I know it might not seem like it now, Sora," she had said, her tone gentle and consoling. "But things _will _get better for you, I know they will. After all…" she had smiled up at the morning sun's rays that were just starting to peek through the dark clouds above. "The sun always finds a way to come back out after even the worst storm somehow, right?"

He had thanked her for her kind words, but didn't really know what else to say outside of that. It was a lovely thought, one that he might have once truly believed in himself. And yet, even though he couldn't see the physical signs of what was happening to his heart anymore thanks to Donald's magic, he could still feel the stormy clouds hovering heavily over his heart. Clouds so dark and thick that he wondered if any amount of light would be enough to truly chase them away.

So they'd said their final goodbyes to Rapunzel and Eugene as they all headed off on their respective paths. By now, the sun had fully peaked through the overcast skies, casting its radiant warmth upon the forest just as it had when the trio had first arrived only two short days prior. Two much happier days ago that felt like a lifetime ago now.

Yet as the trio silently trudged down the path that would take them back to the Gummi Ship, Sora couldn't help but stop short as a sudden realization struck him. Because for all the time he had spent wondering, _fearing _what might happen if Donald and Goofy knew the truth about what was happening to him, horrified by the very idea that they might turn away from him in hatred or disgust for what his heart was steadily starting to fall victim to, in the end, they _hadn't_. If anything, they'd done the exact opposite; they'd vowed to stand by his side, to help him search for some kind of cure, no matter how difficult that might be or how bad things might get. They'd promised to uphold his confidence and bear the weight of his largely unbearable secret right alongside him. They'd even gone as far as to help him hide away the evidence of that secret in the hopes of keeping it from bringing him any more worry and woe than it already had. They'd done everything they possibly could to set his battered heart and frayed mind at ease. And even if it hadn't been enough to fully chase all of his doubts and fears and dread away, it was certainly enough to show him just how much their loyalty, their _friendship _truly meant to him.

"D-Donald? Goofy?" his call stopped them, and their concern was palpable as they turned around to see the tears starting to well up in his eyes once again. Yet for as bittersweet as those tears were, they both immediately understood his intent as he rushed forward, pulling them both into a tight, intent embrace. The pair didn't hesitate to return their young companion's almost desperate hug, both of them more than ready to offer him any sort of comfort from here on out, even if that comfort came in the form as something as relatively simple as this.

The three of them maintained that hug for quite some time, awash in the peace of the mid-morning forest, not even bothering to think of what might come next and instead giving themselves just a moment to simply let this moment be solely what it was. And in that moment, Sora offered both of his companions a soft, yet earnest message, exactly the sort of thing he knew, after all of the sacrifices and struggles they'd gone through for his sake, they deserved to hear.

"Thank you."

* * *

**:D So I'm an emotional mess after writing this chapter. For a number of reasons. Mostly because I'm drowning in feels about a pair of duck and dog dads and their anxiety-ridden, slowly-corrupting son ^_^ Seriously tho I might have cried while writing this one... it was... a lot. Either way, I really hope you enjoyed it! Next time around will be a bit more lighthearted, with another chapter focused on Kairi and Axel that may or may not happen at a little place I like to call... Disney Castle ;) And may or may not feature an appearance from a certain antagonist who we haven't seen in quite some time... ;) ;) ;) Anyway I won't spoil any more of it for you. For now, PLEASE let me know what you thought of this one in the REVIEWS! Until next time :D **


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